A recent viral video featuring students from Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) in Amritsar has ignited a discussion surrounding the prolonged delay in the release of the film ‘Punjab 95,’ a project fronted by actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the eight-minute dance choreography, performed by students from the Department of Engineering and Technology during the university’s inter-department fest ‘Jashan,’ has garnered significant attention for its implicit critique of the film’s censorship. The students’ performance directly questions the reasons behind the continued hold-up of the movie, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Student Performance Questions Film’s Stalled Release
The choreography commenced with a symbolic portrayal of a young girl holding ashes, seeking answers from her grandmother about the fate of her grandfather from years past. Through the performance, the students revisited the painful era of extrajudicial killings and disappearances that marked Punjab during the insurgency and counter-insurgency operations in the 1980s and 1990s. The act, which has been stalled for over two years, was conceived and directed by Gulzar Singh, a student from GNDU’s Music Department, and Bacchanpal Singh, a university alumnus and theatre artist.
Gulzar Singh stated that the intention behind the performance was not to provoke political reactions but to question the rationale behind delaying a film that delves into a significant and factually documented period of Punjab’s history. Karanbir Singh, a BTech Computer Science student who participated in the enactment, echoed this sentiment, explaining that the act aimed to encourage young Punjabis to voice their opposition to all forms of oppression.
“A film about Jaswant Singh Khalra, who is widely known for standing against extrajudicial killings at the time, must be released. Let people watch the story and decide what is wrong in it,” Karanbir Singh commented. He added that labeling individuals who support the film’s release as ‘Khalistani’ or ‘separatist’ is unjust. Gulzar Singh further emphasized the desire to avoid any provocative messaging, contrasting the situation with films like ‘Dhurandhar’ which achieve commercial success with music by prominent Punjabi artists. He argued that ‘Punjab 95’ also represents Punjab’s narrative, featuring Diljit Dosanjh, a globally recognized Punjabi artist, and that the public deserves to know this story.
Background of Jaswant Singh Khalra
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a prominent Sikh human rights activist who played a crucial role in exposing approximately 25,000 extrajudicial killings that occurred during Punjab’s anti-insurgency period. His investigations led to the prosecution and conviction of several high-ranking Punjab Police officials. The film ‘Punjab 95’ aims to document Khalra’s research, his findings, and the circumstances surrounding his abduction and death while he was investigating police brutality.
The film features Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role of Jaswant Singh Khalra, with Honey Trehan serving as the director. The controversy surrounding its release has brought renewed attention to the sensitive historical events it portrays and the complexities of historical narratives in contemporary Punjab. The viral video by GNDU students has amplified calls for transparency and timely release of films that shed light on important, yet often contested, chapters of the state’s past.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
