Film Makers Move Bombay HC After 6-Month Wait for CBFC Certificate

Mumbai: After waiting for six months to get a certificate from the censor board for their yet-to-be-named biopic based on the life of prominent human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the makers of the film have moved the Bombay High Court. 

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Honey Trehan, the movie stars actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh. The film is complete and ready for release, however, it awaits a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). 

Applied for certificate in Dec 22

The RSVP Films had applied for the certificate in December 2022 and the request was forwarded to the review committee. All the necessary paperwork, as required by the CBFC, has been completed. 

Following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, the Punjab police were empowered to detain anyone who was suspected to be a terrorist. It was alleged that cops killed unarmed suspects in staged shootouts and burned thousands of dead bodies to cover up the murders.

Khalra, who was the director of a bank in Amritsar back then, found evidence of abduction, elimination and cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies by the police. The human rights activist’s investigation sparked worldwide protests leading to a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central agency concluded that the Punjab police had unlawfully cremated 2,097 people in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab alone. The Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission have certified the validity of his data.

On September 6, 1995, Khalra himself disappeared. Following a complaint from his wife, Paramjit Kaur, a case of murder, abduction and criminal conspiracy was registered. Four policemen, former head constable Prithipal Singh and former sub-inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh, were arrested for Khalra’s disappearance. The sessions court sentenced them to seven years in prison, which was enhanced to life sentence by the Punjab and Haryana Court in October 2007. 

The Bombay High Court is likely to hear the plea today.