logo
Diljit Dosanjh's unrecognizable look in ‘Punjab 95' poster sparks buzz amid censor board controversy

Diljit Dosanjh's unrecognizable look in ‘Punjab 95' poster sparks buzz amid censor board controversy

Time of Indiaa day ago
Diljit Dosanjh's Punjab 95, based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's life, faces delays due to the censor board demanding 127 cuts. Despite this, Diljit shared a striking poster showing him tied up, sparking buzz. Director Honey Trehan opposes the cuts, saying they dilute the film's true message.
Diljit Dosanjh
's unrecognizable look in 'Punjab 95' poster sparks buzz amid censor board controversy
Diljit Dosanjh's much-anticipated film 'Punjab 95' has been delayed multiple times, but he keeps fans engaged by regularly sharing striking photos and posters.
His latest powerful poster quickly went viral, reigniting excitement.
Meanwhile, Diljit is currently filming 'Border 2' alongside
Varun Dhawan
and Ahaan Shetty.
Powerful Instagram Post Hints at Film's Release
The singer recently posted a powerful image on his Instagram stories showing him hanging with his hands tied, signaling the imminent release of his film. On January 23, he shared a message in Punjabi suggesting that the film would soon reveal important truths.
The movie, inspired by the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, faced censorship challenges, with the board demanding 120 cuts due to its sensitive subject matter.
Director
Honey Trehan
Opposes Censor Board Cuts
Honey Trehan's film 'Punjab '95', starring Diljit Dosanjh as activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been delayed since December 2022 because the Central Board of Film Certification wants 127 cuts. Trehan disagrees with these changes and says the film would lose its meaning if they are made.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Virginia: Gov May Cover Your Cost To Install Solar If You Live In These Zip Codes
Energy Bill Cruncher
Learn More
Undo
He even said he would take his name off the film if the cuts are forced. He understands producers feel pressure but believes the film would no longer show his true vision.
Controversial Censor Board Demands on Title and Content
During an interview with NDTV, Trehan revealed some of the Central Board of Film Certification's unusual demands for his film. Despite the story being set in Punjab, the board insisted on removing 'Punjab' from the title.
Trehan questioned this, saying, 'The story is set in Punjab. Why would any sensible person remove 'Punjab' from the title itself? They are Punjabi cops wearing a turban, and they tell me to call them 'Police' and not 'Punjab Police'.
Where is the logic?"
Censorship of Historical Figures Sparks Debate
He also shared that the CBFC asked him not to mention Indira Gandhi's name. Responding to this, he said, 'Okay, so then what should I call her? There's a film called Emergency that has been made on her whole life, and I can't even have one person take her name in the film? Why such partiality?" Trehan emphasized that his film centers on history and the human rights struggle of Jaswant Singh Khalra, not any political agenda.
After waiting patiently for two and a half years, he expressed his disappointment over the restrictions on artistic freedom, stating, 'If you can't express through your art, then where is the democracy? I have no words. This is how it is right now. Beyond a point, it's in nobody's control."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis spark dating rumours! The alleged couple was spotted on a yacht
Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis spark dating rumours! The alleged couple was spotted on a yacht

Time of India

time23 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis spark dating rumours! The alleged couple was spotted on a yacht

Jennifer Aniston , the 'Friends' star, and the hypnotist, Jim Curtis, have been swirling around the headlines for an alleged relationship. Adding fuel are the reports that state the actress brought him with a bunch of her friends on a yacht for a classic summer holiday in Spain. Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis are reportedly dating... According to People, Aniston and Curtis's PDA moments during the getaway made headlines. The sources have confirmed that Aniston is indeed dating the hypnotist. '[They are] casually dating and having fun,' the source said. While another source revealed that they have been dating for quite some time. 'They've been seeing each other for a few months now. They were introduced by a friend and started out as friends. Jen had read his book and was familiar with his work. She's really into self-help and wellness. They are dating, but it's still casual,' they said, adding that the 56-year-old is open to sharing her life as long as it feels right for her. 'Jen's in a very good place right now — grounded, fulfilled and very happy,' the source said about the Emmy Award-winning actress. About the mystery guy, Curtis, who is a life coach and an author specialising in Hypnotherapy, is quite different from any other person Aniston has dated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo About Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Aniston was previously married to the 'F1' star, Brad Pitt , from 2000 to 2005, which ended up becoming a bombshell and a fan-favourite topic for gossip. She was married to Justin Theroux from 2015 to 2018, and kept her life private until the sparkling Jim Curtis. Previously, Aniston had opened up about the struggle to carve out time for personal life as she is a workaholic. 'I'm a bit of a workaholic, so I'm forcing myself to try to take some time to travel and not work,' she said.

CBFC cuts ‘Superman' in India: A short history of Hollywood films facing censorship
CBFC cuts ‘Superman' in India: A short history of Hollywood films facing censorship

The Hindu

time26 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

CBFC cuts ‘Superman' in India: A short history of Hollywood films facing censorship

James Gunn's Superman soared into theatres across the world this weekend, but in India, the Man of Steel's flight was grounded by an indomitable foe: the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Audiences here were treated to a version of the film that felt conspicuously snipped, with a now-infamous 33-second floating kiss between Clark Kent (David Corenswet) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) mysteriously missing. The romantic moment previously teased in trailers was reportedly deemed too 'sensual' by the CBFC, which demanded its removal in exchange for an UA certificate. A swift wave of public outrage has since followed online, with exasperated fans pointing out the absurdity of censoring a kiss in a superhero flick while Indian films continue to get away with far sleazier depictions of women, often under the guise of tradition or mass appeal. But the uproar surrounding Superman is hardly an isolated incident; rather, it's just the latest cape caught in the CBFC's scissors. One needn't look far down the cutting room floor to find Dev Patel's Monkey Man, a politically loaded revenge saga set in a dystopian India, which found itself ghosted by the certification board. Universal Pictures had already pre-emptively cleaned house, swapping saffron banners for red and scrubbing out scenes that drew lines between religion and violence. Yet, despite these concessions, the film still failed to secure a screening date with the CBFC. No official ban was declared, but the film was never certified either. Industry insiders described the move as a covert form of bureaucratic censorship: by not officially rejecting the film, the board avoided controversy while still keeping it out of theatres. For Indian audiences, Monkey Man remains unseen, and, perhaps more tellingly, unspoken. Shortly after, The Apprentice, Ali Abbasi's thorny biopic on Donald Trump, arrived at the CBFC's doorstep, only to be promptly taken apart. The board demanded that nude scenes be axed, a graphic sexual assault between Trump and his then-wife Ivana trimmed by 75%, and the term 'Negro' removed altogether. They also threw in the usual public service announcements about smoking and drinking for good measure. Not mincing words, Abbasi said the world needed a 'vaccine against censorship,' arguing that what was left of his film after CBFC's pruning barely resembled the one he made. Sometimes, films disappear without a trace. Sean Baker's indie drama Anora, widely celebrated on the global awards circuit and eventually crowned Best Picture at the Oscars 2025, was originally slated for a November 2024 release in India. Then it vanished into the limbo known to Indian cinephiles as 'TBA' — the all-too-familiar acknowledgement that the film likely did not clear the CBFC's moral radar. Featuring the story of a Brooklyn-based stripper marrying into a Russian oligarchy, Anora may have been too risqué, too complex, or simply too uncomfortable, for certification. A slightly more local ghosting was with Santosh, a blistering Hindi-language drama made by an Indian cast and crew under a UK production banner. The film stormed Cannes in 2024, winning praise and major award nominations, only to be stonewalled in its own backyard. The CBFC didn't technically ban Santosh, but instead, sent back a laundry list of edits so sweeping and vague, director Sandhya Suri called them 'impossible' to implement. While specifics remain under wraps thanks to legal restrictions, it's speculated what rattled the board was the film's interrogation of India's police force, gendered violence, and systemic rot. But even filmmakers who play by the rules aren't safe. Halina Reijn's Babygirl, an erotic drama starring Nicole Kidman, was officially granted an A (Adults Only) certificate, only to be carved up anyway. Over three minutes of 'problematic' content were snipped, including intimate visuals and spicy language, prompting critics to ask what purpose an adult certification serves if adults still needed babysitting? The paradox of certifying films for adults and then treating those same adults as incapable of processing difficult or sensual material continues to dog the board's credibility. In a similar vein, Brady Corbet's Oscar-winning The Brutalist, starring Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, was released in India with roughly one minute of nudity and sexual content removed. While the cuts were less dramatic than those faced by other films, Pearce himself commented that such interventions could undermine a film's emotional weight and artistic intent. A minute may be short, but as Pearce noted, 'Sometimes it's the uncomfortable parts that help the story land.' Of course, nothing quite captured the board's deeply confused moral compass like Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The film wad released with its runtime intact, but not its integrity. Sex and nudity were blotted out with the infamous 'CGI black dress,' cigarette smoke disappeared into a puff of denial, and a pivotal scene featuring Florence Pugh and a recitation of the Bhagavad Gita sparked outrage from government officials and Hindu nationalist groups. Never mind that the film is about a man grappling with the morality of creating the atomic bomb, for the real crisis apparently, was quoting scripture during sex. And though the audio remained, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting questioned how the scene made it through in the first place. Other Oscar hopefuls, such as Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, also fell prey to Indian censorship. The CBFC muted several anti-Semitic slurs in the film that, in context, reflected the protagonist's experience of hate and bullying. In doing so, the board managed to rob the film of its sting, all in service of a more 'palatable' viewing experience. But perhaps the most glaring episode of the CBFC's vigilance in recent memory came courtesy of Brad Pitt's F1. The board reportedly asked the filmmakers to digitally replace a middle finger emoji with a fist emoji. Yes, it seems we're censoring emojis now. Around the same time, Marvel's Thunderbolts also faced the wrath of the mute button with five expletives — 'a**,' 'a**hole,' 'd**ks,' 'b***h' and 'pr**k' — scrubbed. All this despite the fact that the film was aimed squarely at older teens and young adults. The history of CBFC's edits is long and often baffling. From blurring alcohol bottles in Ford v Ferrari to removing references to Kashmir from Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the board's decisions have consistently reflected a desire to control what audiences watch and how they interpret it. What may have started as a well-meaning attempt to shield innocent eyes has now curdled into a mechanism of cultural and political gatekeeping. In Superman, the missing kiss might seem trivial, but in a film that quite literally flies the flag for truth and justice, it speaks volumes.

Prithviraj Sukumaran mourns stuntman SM Raju: 'Your skill and guts made magic possible'- Read below
Prithviraj Sukumaran mourns stuntman SM Raju: 'Your skill and guts made magic possible'- Read below

Time of India

time27 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Prithviraj Sukumaran mourns stuntman SM Raju: 'Your skill and guts made magic possible'- Read below

(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has joined the Indian film fraternity in mourning the death of SM Raju , a veteran stuntman who lost his life in a devastating on-set accident. Taking to Instagram, Prithviraj penned a heartfelt message, honouring the courage and skill that Raju brought to every frame. 'Rest in peace Raju. So many moments of magic that would have been impossible to film without your skill and guts! You will be missed forever!' A stunt gone horribly wrong Prithviraj Sukumaran in Bengaluru for the promotion of his film Kaduva The accident occurred on Sunday, July 13, during the filming of a high-risk sequence for Tamil actor Arya's upcoming film, reportedly titled Vettuvan, directed by Pa Ranjith. The scene involved a car-toppling stunt using an SUV, which was supposed to launch off a ramp and crash-land in a controlled motion. However, the stunt turned fatal when the car flipped mid-air and crumpled on impact. Disturbing visuals from the shoot, shared by CinemaMadness, show SM Raju behind the wheel, executing the stunt. As the SUV launches, it spirals out of control, flipping and crashing violently, prompting gasps from the crew. Moments later, team members are seen rushing to the wreckage and pulling Raju out. He had sustained critical chest injuries by the time Raju was taken out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Rushed to hospital, declared dead on arrival According to The Financial Express, SM Raju was immediately rushed to the Nagapattinam Government Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Vishal and Stunt Silva pays tribute - 'I will definitely be there for his family's future' Actor Vishal took Twitter and wrote, "So difficult to digest the fact that stunt artist Raju passed away while doing a car toppling sequence… He was such a brave person. My deepest condolences and may his soul rest in peace. Not just this tweet — I will definitely be there for his family's future… From the bottom of my heart and as my duty, I extend my support for them." Stunt Silva wrote on social media, "One of our great car-jumping stunt artists, S.M. Raju, died today while doing car stunts. Our stunt union and the Indian film industry will be missing him.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store