Filmfare’s Editor-in-Chief Jitesh Pillaai writes about Punjab ’95, a hard-hitting and deeply haunting film that shines a light on one of Punjab’s darkest chapters, powered by a stirring performance by Diljit Dosanjh and Honey Trehan’s fearless storytelling.
In his words:
Last night, a little something in me died. And a little something awoke. That you have to fight the good fight. And there will be collateral damage. That’s what happened to banker-turned-human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Director Honey Trehan’s still stuck with censors, Punjab ’95 is not just hard-hitting and edgy, it’s also a well-made and terrific film.
Ever since 1984, Punjab has faced insurgency, and the centre had given the then law enforcers to weed out terrorism. In this proxy war, several innocents were killed, too. And thereby hangs a tale.
A terrific Diljit Dosanjh, who plays bank officer Jaswant, discovers the rot in the system when his friend and his mother disappear. The friend’s mother mysteriously makes it to a morgue and goes unidentified. Jaswant gets to the root of the problem and discovers through municipality records and other sources that several unclaimed bodies lie in the Tarn Taran cemetery.
The body count piles up, and Jaswant seeks international help in getting justice in the courts of Canada. Undeterred by the death threats, he goes on a mission. He estimates that at least 25000 youth have gone missing, no thanks to extrajudicial killings and other forms of torture.
Kanwaljit Singh plays the cold, ruthless DG of police, reportedly modelled on KPS Gill, who weeded out insurgency in Punjab.
Terrific as the man with ice in his veins is, once again, Vicky Suvinder, who aces the film with his mean act. Especially chilling is his scene with Saurav Sachdeva and his family, the saag scene. That particular sequence, shot by the superb lens of KU Mohanan, and the harrowing torture sequences with Dosanjh, will haunt you forever.
Jaswant is abducted in broad daylight, and pressure mounts on the government bodies to find him. Enter Arjun Rampal, who plays a CBI officer in charge of investigating Jaswant’s disappearance. Which set of a chain of events led to the suspension and imprisonment of several police officers? Rampal is suitably restrained and shorn of any filmi affectations or machismo.
Last I heard, this film is still out in the cold with the censors recommending 127 cuts, which the director had rejected. Punjab ’95 is not an easy watch. The brilliant opening sequence with the drunk policemen talking about their junior’s impending wedding is shot expertly, pointing out the excesses wreaked by the Punjab police in the turbulent insurgency years. The scene ends dramatically and foreshadows the unfair shape of things to come.
While Suvinder Vicky steals the show effortlessly, for me it’s Diljit Dosanjh who, as the voice of conscience, lights a small lamp in the sea of darkness. As Jaswant, who brought about a sea change with his struggle for human rights, his performance is both ennobling and note-perfect.
Take a bow, Honey Trehan. I hope your film, despite all the ups and downs, will finally see the light. Just as Jaswant Singh Khalra would have wanted. In a world of commerce and full-blown entertainment, it’s seldom that you see a film with a bleeding heart and a conscience. Go burn!
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and actor C Vijay Joseph (aka Thalapathy Vijay) took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in a grand swearing-in ceremony at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium on Sunday morning. As Vijay took oath as the new Chief Minister, the actor-politician left behind decades-long career as one of Tamil cinema’s biggest superstar.