Satluj row shocks actor Kanwaljit Singh after film's takedown from Zee5 India
Kanwaljit Singh has questioned the fear around Satluj after its brief release and removal in India. His remarks also draw attention to the film's long censorship battle and uncertain status.
Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh, who plays DGP Bitta in Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, has said he was shocked by the controversy around the film and questioned why there was fear about letting people watch it. He also said he received praise for his performance from actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shashi Ranjan.
The film, which was earlier titled Punjab '95, went through a long battle over censorship before getting a digital release. However, after premiering on an OTT platform, it was taken down in India within two days. Amid the row, Kanwaljit said the makers had faced pressure for nearly three years but did not give in.
Speaking to IANS, Kanwaljit praised the team behind the film for standing by it through the dispute. “I was shocked because it was like that for 2.5-3 years, the case went on and I really admire my director and the producer, Honey and Ronnie, that they stuck to their guns and they never succumbed to the pressure,” he said.
Singh's character, DGP Bitta, is inspired by former Punjab Director General of Police, KPS Gill.
Referring to the hurdles faced by the project, he said, “When it was said that 127 cuts have been given and you can send it to Canada, all of a sudden it was pulled back from the Canada Film Festival as well. So, this has been happening with the film for a long time.”
He added, “Eventually, they said that you should release it, ‘what are you afraid of? What backlash will there be?’ Time heals a lot of wounds, and after that all that is left to do is talk. You can talk and sort out something. No one retaliates like this after so long.”
Singh also shared that he was surprised to hear from Shashi Ranjan and later received a call from Naseeruddin Shah as well. “I was quite surprised to receive his (Ranjan) call. After that, I even got a call from Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah). He started speaking in Punjabi, which he speaks rather poorly. I believe he is the ‘God of acting’ and hence anything coming from him has a lot of impact,” he said.
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged illegal cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy era in the 1980s and 1990s. The film was released in India on Zee5 on July 3, but was removed from the platform within 48 hours. According to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the film was released before the required certification process had been completed, and the platform was later directed to remove it from its India catalogue.
Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh, who plays DGP Bitta in Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, has said he was shocked by the controversy around the film and questioned why there was fear about letting people watch it. He also said he received praise for his performance from actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shashi Ranjan.
The film, which was earlier titled Punjab '95, went through a long battle over censorship before getting a digital release. However, after premiering on an OTT platform, it was taken down in India within two days. Amid the row, Kanwaljit said the makers had faced pressure for nearly three years but did not give in.
Speaking to IANS, Kanwaljit praised the team behind the film for standing by it through the dispute. “I was shocked because it was like that for 2.5-3 years, the case went on and I really admire my director and the producer, Honey and Ronnie, that they stuck to their guns and they never succumbed to the pressure,” he said.
Singh's character, DGP Bitta, is inspired by former Punjab Director General of Police, KPS Gill.
Referring to the hurdles faced by the project, he said, “When it was said that 127 cuts have been given and you can send it to Canada, all of a sudden it was pulled back from the Canada Film Festival as well. So, this has been happening with the film for a long time.”
He added, “Eventually, they said that you should release it, ‘what are you afraid of? What backlash will there be?’ Time heals a lot of wounds, and after that all that is left to do is talk. You can talk and sort out something. No one retaliates like this after so long.”
Singh also shared that he was surprised to hear from Shashi Ranjan and later received a call from Naseeruddin Shah as well. “I was quite surprised to receive his (Ranjan) call. After that, I even got a call from Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah). He started speaking in Punjabi, which he speaks rather poorly. I believe he is the ‘God of acting’ and hence anything coming from him has a lot of impact,” he said.
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged illegal cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy era in the 1980s and 1990s. The film was released in India on Zee5 on July 3, but was removed from the platform within 48 hours. According to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the film was released before the required certification process had been completed, and the platform was later directed to remove it from its India catalogue.
