Punjab '95 release date postponed; Diljith Dosanjh apologises to fans

Diljit Dosanjh starrer Punjab '95 release was delayed yet again. Based on the life of Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the movie was slated to be released on February 7

The release date of one of the most anticipated biographies, Punjab ‘95, has been postponed yet again, the latest in a 3-year-long series of postponements. The movie is based on Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who disappeared in 1995.

 

The information about the Punjab ‘95  release date delay was shared by Diljit on his Instagram stories. 

 

While sharing the news, the singer wrote, "We are very sorry, and it pains us to inform you that the movie Punjab 95 will not release on 7th Feb due to circumstances beyond our control."

 

Honey Trehan has directed the movie and Ronnie Screwvala has directed it. It narrates the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra who is known for uncovering human rights violations during Punjab's militancy era.

Change in title and 120 cuts

The movie was originally titled Ghalughara after the Ghalughara massacre and was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022. CBFC objected to the title and made 120 cuts in the movie. 

 

Later, the apex Sikh religious body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) intervened  and CBFC relented with the cuts but asked the title to be changed. This led to the movie changing the title to 'Punjab 95.' The trailer of the movie was also released in the same year (2022), but removed within a day.

 

Diljit re-shared the new trailer on Instagram this January and announced that the film would be released internationally on February 7 without any cuts. However, there was no update on its Indian release date.

What is Punjab '95 about?

Punjab 95 is a biopic of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist from Punjab. Khalra fought against fake encounters of Sikh youths by Punjab Police during militancy. He also investigated thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab from 1984 to 1994.

 

He mysteriously disappeared in 1995 and four police officers were arrested for his murder a decade later, in 2005. His life and death are full of controversy which is a part of the state's sensitive history particularly in connection with the militancy. 

Punjab '95 was removed from the TIFF

The movie was scheduled for world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but it was removed just a day before its premiere. Variety reported political reasons behind the from Toronto as Canada has the second largest Sikh population in the world after India. However, the film festival organiser neither confirmed nor denied this.