Paramjit Kaur Khalra, the widow of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, on Saturday publicly endorsed the version of “Satluj” – previously titled “Punjab ’95” – being released on OTT, saying it was the same as the original score that was first shown to the family and that its “original spirit and truth” had been preserved despite years of attempts to change it.
The statement comes a day after the film, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, premiered on OTT platform Zee5 worldwide after a long battle over certification and nearly three years of uncertainty. Actress Geetanjali Kulkarni plays the role of Paramjit Kaur Khalra in the film, while Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky play the lead roles.
“We are reassured”
“As the Khalra family, we would like to make it clear that we have approved the version of the film that is now being released on OTT. This is the same original version that was first shown to our family,” Paramjit Kaur Khalra said in a statement posted on X.
“We are reassured that despite tremendous pressure and repeated attempts to make changes, the spirit and truth of the film have been preserved,” she said.
The statement effectively addresses months of speculation about whether the film had undergone substantial edits before its release under the new title ‘Satluj’.
Trehan has repeatedly stressed that he will not accept what he described as sweeping changes sought by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). When the film was reportedly asked to include around 120 clips, the director said the changes required included removing all references to Jaswant Singh Khalra, Punjab Police, specific locations, the Indian flag and several scenes depicting custodial violence and historical events. Trehan noted that accepting the changes would leave little of the film intact, asking: “So what’s left?”
The fate of the movie
The film, which was completed in 2022 with a running time of approximately 163 minutes, remained shelved despite being selected for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, where it was eventually pulled before its scheduled premiere due to a certification impasse. However, over the past year, special, invitation-only screenings of the original version have been held for select audiences, including the Chandigarh-Mohali region, even as the film remains commercially unavailable.
Paramjit Kaur Khalra’s statement also praised Trehan for refusing to compromise on what she called the artistic and historical integrity of the film.
She said that the director authentically depicted “the painful truth of more than 25,000 unclaimed bodies” as well as the legal struggle that Jaswant Singh Khalra is waging to bring the truth before the world. The statement also referred to the “Sikh genocide,” reflecting the Khalra family’s long-standing stance on the events depicted in the film.
Who is Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra documented illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during the years of militancy in Punjab. He was 42 years old at the time, and was kidnapped outside his residence in Amritsar in 1995 and later murdered. Several Punjab Police personnel were later convicted in connection with his kidnapping and murder.
Earlier this year, Paramjit Kaur Khalra criticized the proposed cuts, saying that the family had approved the script and the completed film years ago and that it should be released without edits.
Post the OTT release, both Trehan and Dosanjh have confirmed that the film has finally reached audiences without the content changes sought by the CBFC earlier.
Trehan said the only change made was the title, while emphasizing that the film itself remained the same. Dosanjh echoed this stance during an Instagram Live session, saying that if “even a single clip” had been made, he would not have promoted the film, adding that the version being streamed now is the same version he had seen earlier.
Paramjit Kaur Khalra expressed her hope that the film will be a fitting tribute to her husband’s legacy and inspire audiences around the world to reflect on the values of truth, justice, accountability and human dignity.
Paramjeet Kaur’s struggle for justice
Paramjit Kaur Khalra, now in her early 70s, has emerged as the face of the family’s long legal battle for justice, pursuing the case through the courts and campaigning nationally and internationally to preserve her husband’s legacy. Her efforts contributed to continued public interest in the case, which eventually led to the conviction of several members of the Punjab Police.
In 2019, she entered electoral politics, contesting from the Khudhur Sahib Lok Sabha seat on a Punjab Ekta Party ticket as part of the Punjab Democratic Alliance. Although she finished third, she received over 2.14 lakh votes and established herself as a prominent public figure.
She later campaigned for Amritpal Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which he won, and has since indicated that her primary focus remains championing human rights and preserving Jaswant Singh Khalra’s legacy.
