Jaswant Singh Khalra's wife on biopic finally released as ‘Satluj’, says no cuts made: ‘Spirit and truth preserved’

PAramjit Kaur Khalra, widow woman of slain human rights activistic Jaswant Singh Khalra, on sabbatum publically endorsed the edition of ‘Satluj’ — formerly titled ‘Punjab ’95’—released on OTT, saying it is the same original cut first shown to the family and that its “original spirit and truth” have been preserved despite years of attempts to alter it.The statement comes a day after the film, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, finally premiered on the OTT platform Zee5 worldwide following a prolonged battle over certification and nearly three years of uncertainty. Actress Geetanjali Kulkarni portrays Paramjit Kaur Khalra in the film, while Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky feature in key roles.‘We are reassured’“As the Khalra family, we wish to clarify 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 screened for our family,” Paramjit Kaur Khalra said in a statement posted on X.“We are reassured that, despite immense pressure and repeated attempts to make changes, the film's original spirit and truth have been preserved,” she said.The statement effectively addresses months of speculation over whether the film had undergone substantial edits before its release under the new title ‘Satluj’. Trehan had repeatedly maintained that he would not accept what he described as sweeping changes sought by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). When the film was reported to have been asked to incorporate around 120 cuts, the director said the changes sought included removing all references to Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Punjab Police, specific locations, the Indian flag and several scenes depicting custodial violence and historical events. Trehan had remarked that accepting the changes would leave little of the film intact, asking, “What is left then?”Fate of the filmThe film, completed in 2022 with a runtime of about 163 minutes, remained stalled despite being selected for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, where it was eventually withdrawn before its scheduled premiere because of the certification impasse. Over the past year, however, invitation-only private screenings of the original version were held for select audiences, including in the Chandigarh-Mohali region, even as the film remained unavailable commercially.Paramjit Kaur Khalra's statement also praised Trehan for refusing to compromise on what she called the film's artistic and historical integrity.She said the director had authentically portrayed “the painful truth of more than 25,000 unclaimed bodies” as well as Jaswant Singh Khalra's legal struggle to bring the truth before the world. The statement also referred to the “genocide of the Sikhs”, reflecting the Khalra family's longstanding position on the events depicted in the film.Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?Jaswant Singh Khalra documented illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during Punjab's militancy years. Aged 42 at the time, he was abducted outside his Amritsar residence in 1995 and later murdered. Several Punjab Police personnel were subsequently convicted in connection with his abduction and killing.Earlier this year, Paramjit Kaur Khalra had criticised the proposed cuts, saying the family had approved both the script and the completed film years ago and that it should be released without alterations.Following the OTT release, both Trehan and Dosanjh asserted that the film had ultimately reached audiences without the content changes earlier sought by the CBFC.Trehan said the only change made was the title, while maintaining that the film itself remained intact. Dosanjh echoed that position during an Instagram Live session, saying that if “even a single cut” had been made, he would not have promoted the film, adding that the version now streaming is the same one he had watched earlier.Paramjit Kaur Khalra expressed hope that the film would serve as 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.Paramjit Kaur's struggle for justiceParamjit Kaur Khalra, now in her early 70s, 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 sustained public attention on the case, which eventually led to the conviction of several Punjab Police personnel.In 2019, she entered electoral politics, contesting the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat on a Punjab Ekta Party ticket as part of the Punjab Democratic Alliance. Although she finished third, she secured more than 2.14 lakh votes and established herself further as a prominent public figure.She later campaigned for Amritpal Singh in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, in which he won, and has since indicated that her primary focus remains human rights advocacy and preserving Jaswant Singh Khalra's legacy.