Punjab singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh on Saturday shared unseen video and picture from his unreleased movie Panjab '95. Diljit Dosanjh shared unseen video and picture on his Instagram story to mark Jaswant Singh Kharla Day. For the unversed, it was on September 6, 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted from outside his home and it was the last time he was seen.
Diljit took to his Instagram story and wrote, "(Translated version) It hurts when we can’t even share the story of our own" and paid special tribute to Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Directed by filmmaker Honey Trehan, Panjab '95 was supposed to be released for a global audience and not in India. In fact, Diljit Dosanjh had even shared the movie's teaser on his social media platforms. However, a day after that, Diljit announced that Panjab '95 will not be released even for an international audience.
Speaking to BBC Punjabi, Honey Trehan said, "I have been brought up in Punjab. I belong to Tarn Taran. Stories of Shiv Kumar Batalvi or Khalra Saheb (Jaswant Singh Khalra), will always be part of Punjab. Growing up, I heard a lot about Jaswant Singh Khalra and I also read about Shiv Kumar Batalvi. They have inspired people a lot. Working on their stories feels like that connects me with myself. So, people like Jaswant Singh Khalra, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, and Major DP Singh all are inspiring personalities of Punjab."
Talking about it, Honey Trehan said, "Earlier, its name (Panjab '95) was Ghallughara, then it was changed to Panjab' 95. We were forced to do that. I also want to know why it is not getting released. The entire movie was made with the help of available legal documents. Every scene showcased in Panjab 95 has a supporting document."
"The documents are from the CBI, Session Court, Punjab & Haryana High Court, and Supreme Court. Whatever the verdict the Supreme Court gave, we have made a film on that. The research was done under a legal process. We spent a lot of time with Dr. Rajvinder Singh Bains (Senior Advocate) and collected all the legal documents. The film is based on reality. Even I don't know why is there so much controversy around it. It has become a one sided struggle because the actual issue is not coming out."
