Film Satluj

 'I challenge the darkness' ~ Jaswant Singh 

I finally watched the filmSatujl (originally titled Punjab '95), a film I had been eagerly awaiting ever since I shared Honey Trehan's interview in August 2025 in the Caravan magazine.  and wrote about how the government had kept it from release for more than three years. I had shared the colum, and preview  to many friends last year. It was finally released on July 3, only to be blocked again just two days later—a story almost as remarkable as the film itself.

This is a deeply moving true story of an ordinary man, Jaswant Singh Khalra, who evolves into an investigator, whistleblower, and fearless human rights activist. His journey—from a quiet bank employee to someone willing to risk everything in pursuit of truth—is both inspiring and heartbreaking.

The performances are outstanding, led by Diljit Dosanjh, with excellent supporting performances throughout. Honey Trehan deserves special recognition for his perseverance in bringing this important story to the screen despite years of obstacles.

The struggle behind Punjab '95(previous name of the film Satluj)  is itself remarkable. The film reportedly faced 127 requested cuts from the Indian censor board and remained unreleased for years. After finally reaching audiences on July 3, it was reportedly withdrawn again within two days. Whatever one's political views, Trehan's determination to bring this story to the screen reflects the courage required to tell difficult and controversial truths.

This is not just a film about Punjab in the 1990s. It is about courage, conscience, and the price of speaking truth to power. In an era when truth is often pressured into silence, Satujl is an important reminder of why the work of investigators, whistleblowers, and human rights activists matters. It is a film well worth watching.

#ichallengethedarkness,  #Panjab95, #Satluj 

PS:  

Jaswant Singh  reminded me of few more modern day characters. Alexei Navalny, another ordinary citizen who challenged powerful institutions at enormous personal cost. He survived a poisoning with the Novichok nerve agent in 2020, returned voluntarily to Russia despite knowing the risks, and was imprisoned and died in the Russian prison.

 Also reminded me of the figures such as Anna Politkovskaya or Jamal Khashoggi(Saudi Arabia),  Gauri Lankesh(India) who likewise became symbols of the dangers faced by those who expose uncomfortable truths.

It is easy to dismiss such sacrifices as futile or to ask, "What did they achieve?" History often gives a different answer. The freedoms, accountability, and human rights we take for granted today were secured because ordinary individuals chose to speak up when silence was safer. Even when they do not live to see the results, their courage plants the seeds of future justice.

We recently enjoyed the 2026 science-fiction film Disclosure Day, directed by Steven Spielberg, in which an ordinary activist risks his life to expose the hidden crimes of the state. Punjab '95 tells a remarkably similar story—but this one is real. That is what makes it even more powerful. It reminds us that the greatest courage is often shown not by superheroes, but by ordinary people who refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice.

An honest society does not fear its history, even when that history is painful. Truthful storytelling is essential not because it flatters the past, but because it helps us learn from it. A mature democracy has the confidence to confront its darkest chapters rather than erase or sanitize them.

 

 

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