Diljit Dosanjh’s latest film ‘Satluj’, which was originally announced as ‘Punjab ’95’, has once again brought one of Punjab’s most talked-about and sensitive chapters into the spotlight. Ever since the film was released digitally, many people have been asking one question — Is Satluj based on a true story?
The answer is yes, but with a small clarification. The film is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. However, it is not a documentary or an exact recreation of real events. Like most biographical films, the makers have fictionalised certain characters, dialogues and scenes to suit the cinematic narrative while keeping the main story rooted in real-life events.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was born on November 2, 1952, in Khalra village of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. Before becoming known as a human rights activist, he worked in a bank and was involved in social work.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Punjab was going through one of the most difficult phases in its history. Militancy, police operations and violence had become a part of everyday life. Thousands of families claimed that their relatives had disappeared after allegedly being taken into police custody.
It was during this period that Khalra started looking into these allegations.
Khalra began examining official cremation records from municipal authorities, especially in Amritsar and nearby districts.
After studying the records, he claimed that thousands of unidentified bodies had been cremated without proper identification or without informing their families. According to him, many of these bodies belonged to people who had allegedly disappeared after being taken into police custody.
His findings soon attracted attention from human rights organisations, journalists and political leaders in India and abroad. Khalra repeatedly demanded an independent investigation into the matter and presented his findings at various national and international forums.
His work eventually became one of the most significant human rights issues linked to Punjab's militancy period.
On September 6, 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra allegedly disappeared after being picked up outside his residence in Amritsar by people later linked to Punjab Police personnel.
His disappearance triggered protests across Punjab and drew attention from human rights groups in India and overseas. Despite repeated efforts by his family and supporters, Khalra never returned home.
After his disappearance, his wife Paramjit Kaur Khalra continued the legal battle for justice.
She spent years fighting the case in court and became one of the most recognised human rights activists herself. Her long legal fight eventually led to the conviction of several Punjab Police personnel in connection with Khalra’s abduction and murder.
The couple had two children — daughter Navkiran Kaur and son Janmeet Singh — who have also remained associated with preserving Khalra’s legacy.
Interestingly, public service runs deep in the family. Khalra’s grandfather Harnam Singh was associated with the Ghadar Movement and was among the passengers of the historic Komagata Maru voyage in 1914.
Following court directions, the CBI took over the investigation.
Over the years, several Punjab Police officials were prosecuted. The trial court convicted multiple officers for Khalra's abduction and murder, and the convictions were later upheld by higher courts.
In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld life imprisonment for the main convicted officials, observing that custodial crimes strike at the very foundation of the rule of law.
Today, the case is considered one of India's most significant judgments involving custodial disappearance and human rights violations.
Director Honey Trehan had originally announced the film as 'Punjab '95'.
However, the film remained stuck for nearly three years due to certification-related issues. Reports suggested that the makers were asked to make several changes during the certification process.
Eventually, the film was released on an OTT platform under the new title 'Satluj', leading to fresh discussions among audiences and within the film industry.
In Satluj, Diljit Dosanjh plays a character inspired by Jaswant Singh Khalra.
The actor has previously described the film as an emotionally important project, saying it tells the story of a man remembered for standing up for truth and justice despite enormous risks.
Apart from Diljit, the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, Kanwaljit Singh and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.