Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh has sparked new rumors with a mysterious Instagram Story that said, “Censored before release? ” Fans are interpreting the post as a reference to his delayed movie Punjab 95, the biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The movie, which explores the extra-judicial executions of Sikh men in the late 1990s, has seen heavy censorship, with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) allegedly asking for 120 cuts.
Khalra’s widow, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, protested fiercely against the censorship, saying the family had permitted the making of the film and should be allowed to release uncut.
Sardaar Ji 3 Avoids Indian Theatres Amid Controversy
Diljit Dosanjh’s next Punjabi horror-comedy Sardaar Ji 3, the third installment of the franchise, has also been a lightning rod for controversy. The movie will bypass a release in Indian theaters and open internationally on June 27. The move comes amidst criticism of the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir and India-Pakistan tensions following the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam and India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7.
Backlash Against Pakistani Artists
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Hania Aamir, accused of making anti-India statements, still faces online outrage. Casting has also triggered irritation from film associations like the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which continues to have its longstanding ban on Pakistani talent in Indian films. Some Pakistani stars, like Hania, Mahira Khan, Sanam Saeed, and Ali Zafar, had their Instagram accounts suspended in India after a legal petition after the Pahalgam attack.
Diljit’s decisions and the languish of his films have caused controversy in the movie scene, putting his future releases in the limelight.
