As Punjab ’95 enters its third year without CBFC clearance, Justice Ranjit Singh has urged an uncut release, saying the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer truthfully depicts Jaswant Singh Khalra’s custodial killing and is backed by documented evidence
Diljit Dosanjh (centre) with the starcast of ‘Punjab ‘95’
As Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab ’95 enters its third year without a release or even a confirmed date before the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge and human rights activist Justice Ranjit Singh has made a renewed appeal for the film to be released without any cuts.
Singh, recently appointed chairman of the reconstituted Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), said the movie’s depiction of the custodial killing of Jaswant Singh Khalra is based on documented evidence and judicial findings, and is neither speculative nor exaggerated.
Honey Trehan
He said, “The film is very close to reality. It depicts a sequence of events that was not merely an allegation, but something that was clearly established through evidence. These are facts that required to be told. I see no objection to any part of the film. What it shows is real and supported by material already on record. In my view, Punjab ’95 must be released without any cuts.”
Directed by Honey Trehan, the movie features Diljit Dosanjh as Khalra. Punjab ’95 has remained unreleased in India despite being completed several years ago. The film chronicles Khalra’s investigations into illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during Punjab’s counter-insurgency period of the 1990s. Whether Singh’s appeal will sway the CBFC remains to be seen. mid-day reached out to chairperson Prasoon Joshi, but he was unavailable for comment.
The film’s timeline
Early 2021: Film goes on floors.
Mid 2022: Principal photography wrapped.
December 2022: Submitted to the CBFC for certification.
2023–24: No certification or release date issued.
September 25, 2024: mid-day reports CBFC suggests nearly 127 cuts.
January 2025: Overseas release announced, then cancelled days before release.
2025: Makers refuse cuts, say they will remove credits if altered.
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