The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has granted certification to Honey Trehan's highly anticipated film 'Ghallughara,' according to reports. However, the CBFC imposed a whopping 21 cuts for the certification.
Inspired by the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh human rights activist during Punjab's turbulent insurgency period in the 1990s, the film stars Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra and Arjun Rampal.
Certain scenes and conversations in the film have been judged offensive and communal in nature by the CBFC, with the possibility to incite violence/riots and radicalise Sikh youth. As a result, the board has ordered that these disputed scenes and lines be removed, totalling 21 edits.
Aside from the cuts, the CBFC is concerned about the film's potential impact on the country's sovereign and foreign relations. As a result, the board has demanded that certain dialogue be removed and that the film's official title be changed.
The film 'Ghallughara' aims to bring light on the life and activities of Jaswant Singh Khalra, who was instrumental in unearthing human rights atrocities during the 1980s and 1990s insurgency in Punjab. The CBFC's decision to impose many cuts, on the other hand, reveals their concerns about the film's content and its potential socio-political implications in the state and among the general public.
RSVP Films, which is producing the picture, has filed an appeal with the Bombay High Court under Section 5C of the Cinematograph Act, challenging the changes demanded on the film as a violation of Article 19 (1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. The next hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2023.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, Diljit became the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella. He will appear in the upcoming biopic 'Chamkila,' in which he will play Punjab's most successful recording artist, Amar Singh Chamkila.
Parineeti Chopra will play his wife, Amarjot Kaur, in the film, which will be directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film is set in Punjab and stars Diljit and Parineeti as a real-life singer couple who were murdered in 1988 along with two members of their band. The first trailer for the film was released in May.