Diljit Dosanjh Shares Post Backing Punjab 95, Stuck With Censors, Amid Hania Aamir- Sardaar Ji 3 Row

NDTV

5 days ago

New Delhi:
Diljit Dosanjh has been in the eye of the proverbial storm ever since the trailer of Sardaar Ji 3 was released on Sunday, June 22, 2025. The Punjabi star is facing backlash for co-starring in the upcoming Punjabi film with Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.
Diljit Dosanjh, who remains unfazed despite criticism over Hania Aamir's casting in Sardaar Ji 3, on Monday reshared a post about the Censor Board demanding 127 cuts for his other film Punjab 95, which has been embroiled in controversy for quite some time. The film, which is stuck with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
What's Happening
Diljit Dosanjh reshared a detailed post by filmmaker Sunayana Suresh, who has jotted down all the issues that Honey Trehan's film Punjab 95 is facing. Led by Diljit Dosanjh, the film is currently stuck with the Censor Board which has reportedly demanded 127 cuts in the film.
Sunayana Suresh penned down a long Instagram post on censorship troubles. She also highlighted the importance of a film like Punjab 95 in the current political scenario.
The title of the post read, 'Censored before release?'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sunayana Suresh (@sunayanasuresh)
Sunayana Suresh applauded Diljit Dosanjh for his solid performance, and wrote, "I recently had the chance to watch Punjab 95, the much-discussed film directed by Honey Trehan and led by powerfully restrained performance from Diljit Dosanjh. The film has lingered with me deeply - not just because of its storytelling, but because of the chilling parallels it shares with the real-life struggles of its protagonist, Jaswant Singh Khalra. Ironically, much like Khalra's battle for truth in the mid-90s, the film about his life now finds itself fighting a similar uphill battle - for the right to be seen (sic)."
Stating how the board silencing the film is an "ironic twist", the filmmaker added, "The CBFC has reportedly demanded a staggering 127 cuts for it to be approved. These include removing the names of political figures, real locations, references to documented human rights abuses, and even factual historical context. Essentially, the board is asking the filmmakers to erase the very backbone of the story (sic)."
Director Honey Trehan is still trying to get the film approved by the Censor Board without the cuts. Diljit Dosanjh has also put his foot down and refused to accept what is being made out to be Punjab 95 's fate.
In her post, Sunayan Suresh said the stance by the makers is "not just artistic - it's political". "It raises a larger, unsettling question: if India prides itself as the world's largest democracy, why must a film like Punjab 95 fight so hard to exist? (sic)" she added.
She concluded her post, saying that silencing the film's voice is unacceptable because cinema dares to ask uncomfortable questions.
About Punjab 95
Diljit Dosanjh essays the role of the late human activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab 95. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Jaswant Singh Khalra investigated cases of mass cremations and extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Punjab. In September 1995, the activist was allegedly abducted and murdered by Punjab Police.
The film was earlier slated to release in theatres on February 7, 2025, without any cuts.
Diljit Dosanjh later shared the delay in the movie's release on his Instagram Stories. "We are 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."
Punjab 95 was also removed from the line-up of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), just ahead of its world premiere without any prior intimation.
In A Nutshell
Honey Trehan's film Punjab 95, led by Diljit Dosanjh, is stuck with the censors. According to reports, the film -- based on the life of human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra -- is facing 127 cuts from the CBFC. Filmmaker Sunayana Suresh shared a long post on social media talking about the film and the unfair treatment being meted out to it by the board. Diljit Dosanjh reshared the post on his Instagram Story amid controversy over the casting of Pakistani star Hania Aamir in his new Punjabi movie Sardaar Ji 3.