Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Punjab’95 faces another setback; CBFC demands 120 cuts

In 2022, the movie was premiered in front of the CBFC for certification.

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Punjab’95, starring Diljit Dosanjh, has been in development for a while. The film, which is based on the biography of Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and is directed by Honey Trehan, has encountered yet another obstacle in obtaining Censor Board permission. Recent sources state that the CBFC has requested 120 cuts, along with a number of other changes to the movie, including a new title.

There have been 120 suggested changes to the Diljit Dosanjh film Punjab’95, according to a report that was published in Midday. The report is the follow-up to one published in July that proposed 85 cuts. A new revelation claims that CBFC head Prasoon Joshi and other reviewing committee members saw the movie and approved the final edits.

Diljit Dosanjh's new film 'Punjab '95' in trouble, CBFC hesitant to grant  release despite demanding 85 cuts: Report – Firstpost

The magazine was notified by a source that the suggested reductions have been raised from 85 to about 120. The complete replacement of Khalra’s character name is one of the significant modifications that have been mandated. Additionally, it has been mandated that the movie’s title cannot reference Khalra’s year of death, Punjab’95. Khalra vanished in September of 1995, and six Punjab police officers were imprisoned for his murder ten years later.

“Per the CBFC’s suggestion, the film will now be called Sutlej, denoting the river that unites Punjab. There are a total of almost 120 changes!,” a source mentioned as quoted by Pinkvilla.

They claim that they will not allow the movie’s alteration, which would have highlighted Khalra’s involvement in looking into the deaths and disappearances of Sikh teenagers during the 1984–1994 Punjab conflict. “Their point of argument was that Khalra is seen as a martyr by the Sikh community and removing his name will be disrespectful not just to him and his family, but to the entire community,” the source stated.

Punjab 95 First Look OUT: दिलजीत दोसांझ की फिल्म 'पंजाब 95' का फर्स्ट लुक  जारी

The Diljit led drama film has a Gurbani scene that is allegedly being asked to be cut. Additionally, it has been directed that all references to Punjab and the Tarn Taran district be removed. The National Flag display and any mention of Canada or the UK must be completely eliminated from the film.

“If the makers agree to these changes, they will be handed the certificate before the week ends,” quipped the source. “The makers had eventually decided to pursue an out-of-court settlement”.

According to the source, the creators were requested by the Revising Committee to change the sentence in which the protagonists claimed that more than 25,000 people had died in Punjab. Meanwhile, the makers disputed the ruling noting that the facts were based on real-life witnesses and the CBI court’s judgment from the ’90s.

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