Key facts
- Punjab 95 stars Diljit Dosanjh as human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra
- Film was blocked from Indian theatrical release after CBFC certification dispute
- Now streaming uncut on OTT under a new title after a three-year battle
- Directed by Honey Trehan; previously screened at international film festivals
Diljit Dosanjh's Punjab 95 has finally reached audiences across India, streaming in its uncut form on OTT under a new title after a censorship battle that stretched across three years. The film, which portrays the true story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra who documented the secret cremation of thousands of Sikhs allegedly killed in extrajudicial encounters by Punjab Police in the 1990s, had been repeatedly stalled by the Central Board of Film Certification.
The film was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival and generated significant buzz for both Dosanjh's performance and director Honey Trehan's unflinching treatment of a dark chapter in Indian history. However, it could not secure a theatrical release in India, with reports indicating that the CBFC demanded cuts that the filmmakers were unwilling to make, leaving the project in an extended limbo.
The decision to release it on OTT — and uncut at that — represents a significant moment for Indian cinema's ongoing negotiation between creative expression and regulatory oversight. Streaming platforms have increasingly become a refuge for films that face hurdles in the theatrical certification process, offering filmmakers a route to audiences that bypasses some of the more contentious demands of the CBFC.
For Dosanjh, who has emerged as one of Hindi cinema's most bankable and critically respected stars in recent years, the release is also a personal vindication. The film arriving in its intended form, even if under a different title, ensures that the story of Khalra — recognised internationally as a human rights hero — can finally be seen by Indian viewers as the filmmakers intended.