‘The producer suffered the loss’: Actor Kanwaljit furious over being dropped from ‘Sutlej’

New Delhi: Actor Kanwaljit Singh, who played the role of a senior police officer in Diljit Dosanjh’s film Satluj, has reacted to the film being pulled just two days after its release. Raising questions about ‘freedom of speech,’ Kanwaljit stated that the filmmakers would challenge this decision in court. Many believe that Kanwaljit’s character in Satluj is inspired by former Punjab DGP KPS ​​Gill; Kanwaljit addressed this point as well.

“What kind of freedom of expression is this?”
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Kanwaljit Singh revealed that he spoke to director Honey Trehan immediately after the film was withdrawn. He said, “I spoke to Honey. He mentioned that they would now approach the court. But I fail to understand the need to pull the film. People who wouldn’t have even watched it otherwise will now want to see it. Many have already downloaded the film. People will watch it regardless, but the producers will suffer the loss. I just want to ask: what kind of freedom of expression is this? Tell me, I really want to know.”

In a separate conversation, Kanwaljit mentioned that the film being withdrawn in this manner after its release came as a shock to him too. He said, “I was completely stunned. This matter had been dragging on for two and a half to three years. I must commend my director, Honey Trehan, and producer, Ronnie Screwvala, for never bowing down to pressure. There was talk of 127 cuts, then suggestions that it could be sent to Canada, and suddenly it was dropped from the Toronto Film Festival as well. This has been the story of the film for a long time. Finally, when permission for release was granted, I wondered—what was there to fear now? What could possibly be the grounds for protest after so many years? Time heals many wounds.” “Even if there are disagreements later on, a solution can be found through dialogue. People don’t usually respond this way after such a long time.”

Is Kanwaljit’s character inspired by KPS Gill?
Kanwaljit Singh also addressed whether his character was inspired by former Punjab DGP KPS ​​Gill. He said, “People assume I am playing KPS Gill. However, the brief I received involved watching videos and clippings of various DGPs and police chiefs. A friend of mine is also a retired DGP, and I had extensive discussions with him about this character as well.”

Kanwaljit also shared what drew him most to this film. He said, “First of all, I got the opportunity to play such a ruthless character for the first time. I had played similar roles before, but none were quite this brutal. My interest grew further when I was told I would resemble a specific real-life figure. It is a true story that has never been talked about, even though it is a part of our history. That is what drew me to this film.”