He emphasised that its content is backed by factual events and carries significant historical importance.

Retired High Court Judge Urges CBFC to Clear Diljit Dosanjh’s Punjab ’95 Without Cuts

The long-awaited historical film Punjab ’95, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, is still facing censorship hurdles nearly three years after completion. The film remains unreleased in India due to disputes with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge and noted human rights advocate Justice Ranjit Singh has publicly appealed to the CBFC to certify Punjab ’95 without any cuts. He emphasised that its content is backed by factual events and carries significant historical importance. He stressed that the film’s depiction of Khalra’s custodial killing and related incidents is supported by documented judicial findings and should be presented to audiences in full.

Justice Singh’s intervention comes amid ongoing disagreements between the filmmakers and the censor board. Director Honey Trehan has criticised demands reportedly made by the board to remove the word “Punjab” from the title and to avoid references to the Punjab Police and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He has described these requests as unreasonable given the factual context of the story.

The story chronicles Khalra’s investigation into illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during Punjab’s counter-insurgency period in the 1990s. Despite earlier announcements of release dates, including an international opening, the film’s India release has been repeatedly postponed.

Source: Times of India