Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh talking about the controversy around Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’, admits that he was taken back by the hurdles the film faced before and after its release. The actor, who will be playing DGP Bitta in the film, questioned why the audience was prevented from watching it and revealed that his performance got appreciation from the veterans. Naseeruddin Shah and: Shashi Ranjan.Originally titled ‘Punjab ’95’, the film remained mired in censorship-related issues for several years. Although it eventually premiered on an OTT platform, it was pulled from streaming in India within two days.
Kanwaljit Singh praised the determination of the makers
Reflecting on the film’s long struggle, Kanwaljit praised the director Honey Trehan and producers Honey and Ronnie for refusing to compromise despite years of pressure.“I was shocked because like that for 2.5-3 years, the case was going on and I was really impressed with my director and the producer, Honey and Ronnie, that they stuck to their guns and never succumbed to the pressure,” Singh told IANS.The actor also recalled how the project kept facing setbacks despite repeated efforts to go ahead. “When it said 127 cuts were given and you could send it to Canada, all of a sudden it was pulled from the Canada Film Festival as well. So, this happened to the film for a long time.”The veteran actor questioned the concerns about the film’s release, saying that enough time has passed for people to talk instead of fearing a backlash.“Eventually, they say you have to let it go, ‘what are you afraid of? Time heals a lot of wounds, and then the only thing left to do is talk. You can say something and settle something. No one will reciprocate like this after a long time.” In ‘Satluj’, Kanwaljit essayed the role of DGP Bitta, a character inspired by former Punjab Director General of Police KPS Gill.
Praise from Naseeruddin Shah and Shashi Ranjan
The veteran actor also shared that his portrayal in the film has received hearty praise from fellow actors Shashi Ranjan and Naseeruddin Shah, something he considers very meaningful.“I was very surprised to receive his (Ranjan’s) call. After that, I received another call from Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah). He started speaking in Punjabi, which he did not speak well. I believe he is the ‘God of action’ and therefore anything from him will have 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 cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy of the 1980s and 1990s. The film started streaming on Zee5 in India on July 3 after a long certification battle. 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 mandatory certification process, following which the platform was ordered to remove it from the Indian catalogue.