One would think that 85 cuts is one too many for a film. But apparently not. Troubles continue for director Honey Trehan’s Punjab ’95, a biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. In July, mid-day reported that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had not greenlit the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer even after suggesting 85 cuts (85 cuts not enough?, July 17).

Now, it has come to light that CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi, along with the Revising Committee, watched the gritty drama last month and handed out a final round of changes. Sources tell us that the cuts have now sharply increased from 85 to nearly 120. Not just that, one of the pivotal asks is that Khalra’s character be renamed altogether. 

Additionally, the movie cannot be titled Punjab ’95, which is a reference to Khalra’s year of death. The activist had disappeared in September 1995, and 10 years later, six Punjab police officials were convicted for his murder.

A well-placed source from the film’s team reveals, “Per the CBFC’s suggestion, the film will now be called Sutlej, denoting the river that unites Punjab. There are a total of almost 120 changes! The most pivotal change is to not call the protagonist Jaswant Singh anymore. Honey and producer Ronnie Screwvala told CBFC that they won’t allow this change in a film that highlights Khalra’s role in investigating the disappearance and killing of Sikh youths during the Punjab insurgency between 1984 and 1994. Their point of argument was that Khalra is seen as a martyr by the Sikh community and removing his name will be disrespectful not just to him and his family, but to the entire community. Not to mention that it then won’t be a biopic anymore. The CBFC also stated that the movie cannot claim to be based on real-life incidents as they felt it would lead to ‘swaying of sentiments’.”

There is more in the list of changes. The source adds, “In a scene, there is a Gurbani that has been asked to be removed. They have also instructed that any mention of Punjab and the district of Tarn Taran be dropped. Moreover, display of the national flag and any reference to Canada or the UK has to be dropped altogether. If the makers agree to these changes, they will be handed the certificate before the week ends.” A final meeting is slated to take place today, where Trehan and Screwvala will appeal to the CBFC against some of the suggested modifications.

The movie — also starring Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky — was first screened for the CBFC in 2022. Since then, Screwvala and Trehan have been trying their best to get it cleared. It had led to a court case, with Screwvala appealing against the Censor Board’s then-ask of 22 cuts.

“The makers had eventually decided to pursue an out-of-court settlement. In an earlier meeting, the Revising Committee asked them to alter a line in the film, where the protagonist remarks that over 25,000 people have been killed in Punjab. The Revising Committee stated that the number be reduced. But Honey and Ronnie had opposed it, noting that all the facts shown in the film were based on real-life testimonies and the CBI court’s judgment from the ’90s,” added the source.