A veteran player Kanwaljit Singh has spoken about the controversy surrounding it Diljit Dosanjh‘s ‘Satluj’, admitting that he was put back by the hurdles the film faced before and after its release. The actor, who portrays DGP Bitta in the film, questioned why the audience was banned from watching it and revealed that his performance was appreciated by veterans. Naseeruddin Shah and Shashi Ranjan.The film was titled ‘Punjab’95’, and the film has been mired in censor-related issues for several years. Although it was first aired on an OTT platform, it was pulled from India within two days.
Kanwaljit Singh appreciates the determination of the makers
Reflecting on the long struggle of the film, Kanwaljit praised the director of the film Honey Trehan and producers Honey and Ronnie for refusing to give in despite years of pressure.“I was surprised because it was like that for 2.5-3 years, the case continued and I admire my director and producer, Honey and Ronnie, that they stuck to their guns and did not succumb to the pressure,” Singh told IANS.The actor also recalled how the project continued to face obstacles despite his repeated efforts to move forward. “When it was said that 127 cuts have been given and you can send it to Canada, suddenly it was removed from the Canadian Film Festival as well. So, this has been happening with this film for a long time.”The former actor questioned the release of the film, saying that it is time for people to talk about it instead of fearing backlash.“In the end, he said to release, ‘what are you afraid of? Time heals many wounds, and after that the only thing left is to talk. You can talk and fix something. No one takes revenge like this after a long time. ” In ‘Satluj’, Kanwaljit plays the role of DGP Bitta, a person inspired by the former Punjab Director General of Police KPS Gill.
Compliments from Naseeruddin Shah and Shashi Ranjan
The veteran actor also shared that his performance in the film received heartfelt appreciation from his co-stars Shashi Ranjan and Naseeruddin Shah, which he felt was very important.“I was shocked when I got his (Ranjan’s) call. Later, I even got a call from Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah). He started talking in Punjabi, which he speaks badly. I believe he is a ‘doing God’ so anything from him has a lot of impact,” he said.
About ‘Satluj’
Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Satluj’ is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged illegal burning and indiscriminate killings in Punjab during the insurgency era of the 1980s and 1990s. The film premiered on Zee5 in India on July 3 after a long battle over certification. However, it was removed from the platform within 48 hours after the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the film was released before completing the official certification process, after which the platform was instructed to remove it from its Indian catalog.