The first look of Punjab 95, the upcoming biopic in which Diljit Dosanjh portrays the human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was unveiled by Ronnie Screwvala's production house RSVP Movies on Monday, July 24 night with the announcement that the film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023.
Sharing the first look on his social media handles, Diljit Dosanjh wrote, "Waheguruji ka Khalsa Waheguruji ki Fateh! World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festiva. Presenting the first look of Punjab ‘95, a compelling story based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji".
Helmed by the casting director Honey Trehan, Punjab 95 also features Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky, who recently was hugely appreciated for his leading act in the Netflix series Kohhra, in main roles. The film, initially titled Ghallughara, has also been in the news after the makers moved to the Bombay High Court against CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) for delaying the censor certificate for more than six months and ordering 21 cuts.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was the human rights activist instrumental in discovering evidence of abduction, murder, and cremation of thousands of unidentified persons by the police. Khalra’s investigation, concerning 25,000 illegal cremations in Punjab during the militancy period from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, sparked worldwide protests.
It led to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluding that the Punjab police had unlawfully cremated 2097 people in the Tarn Taran district. Khalra disappeared in 1995. Initially, the Punjab Police treated his death as suicide but in 2005, six Punjab police officials were convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment for Khalra's abduction and murder.
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