Filmmaker Honey Trehan has strongly criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over the fate of his film Punjab ’95, a biographical drama based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Starring Diljit Dosanjh, the film has been stuck in limbo for over two years due to clearance issues.
The CBFC has reportedly demanded 127 cuts, prompting both Trehan and Dosanjh to consider removing their names from the project entirely.
Speaking to NDTV, Trehan said, “It’s not my film then, it’s CBFC’s film.” He added that if those many changes are forced upon the project, it compromises the filmmaker’s vision and undermines the purpose of telling Khalra’s story.
Punjab ’95 was initially submitted to the CBFC in December 2022.
Since then, there has been little to no communication from the board, according to Trehan. “We don't even know what the CBFC wants, there's radio silence,” he said.
Even after a meeting with the Revision Committee, Trehan said all the paperwork and visuals matched, yet no further direction was provided. “Earlier, speaking the truth used to be appreciated, but now it has become a blame game.”
The film tells the story of Khalra, who exposed the extrajudicial killings of thousands during the Punjab militancy era. He estimated that over 25,000 individuals were killed and cremated illegally by the Punjab police. Khalra was later abducted and murdered in 1995; six police officers were convicted in the case. Trehan emphasised, “I have made a film on that guy’s life. And I cannot even stand by that person. Then what’s the point?”
The renewed spotlight on Punjab ’95 comes at a time when Diljit Dosanjh’s other project, Sardaar Ji 3, has stirred controversy due to the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir. The backlash was particularly intense in the wake of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
While the film skipped an Indian release, it has seen commercial success in Pakistan, crossing ₹42.60 crore in 10 days.
Despite calls for a ban from groups like FWICE and AICWA, the Indian government eventually supported Dosanjh’s freedom of artistic expression.
Trehan commented on the matter, saying, “When the government takes the right decision, when they come in support or to protect the artist and their freedom of speech, other people will understand.”
Trehan also condemned the overreaction to Sardaar Ji 3, pointing out that it was shot before the recent surge in India-Pakistan tensions. “People need to understand that when something is being shot way before the incident, it is out of everyone’s control. The pattern has to be of handling it logically.”
The director did not hold back in his criticism of the CBFC, saying, “CBFC has also been given extra powers which are misused. That’s how politics plays a role.”
Trehan praised Dosanjh for staying calm during the controversies. “Diljit is very calm and composed. Whenever I speak to him, he always motivates. And he is a very courageous person. Of course, he gets upset and disappointed.”
Originally selected for the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Punjab ’95 was dropped from the lineup without notice, adding yet another obstacle to the film’s journey.