After a prolonged certification journey, ‘Satluj’, previously titled ‘Punjab ’95’, has finally made its way to OTT. Inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the film marks another collaboration between Diljit Dosanjh and director Honey Trehan. Looking back at the experience, the actor spoke about the deep trust he shares with the filmmaker and the influence Trehan has had on his career.Praising the director, Diljit shared with Variety India, “It was such a remarkable experience to work with Honey Trehan. The first thing that I’ll mention about him is his energy. I haven’t come across too many people with such immense enthusiasm and zest, especially from the first to the last shot of the day. His energy never died even after pack-up.”He also recalled that it was Honey Trehan who encouraged him to audition for ‘Udta Punjab’, his first Hindi film.“Working with Honey sir has been inspiring, and my relationship with him has grown over the years. In fact, when I began my career in Hindi cinema with ‘Udta Punjab’, it was Honey Trehan who had called me up and offered me an audition. I look at him as an elder brother, and he was among the first few who encouraged me and showed faith in my talent, so I owe a lot to him. I have learned so much from him, be it on the sets of this film or in general over the years.”Diljit explained that working with Trehan never felt like a routine film shoot. Instead, every day on set became an opportunity to sharpen his craft.“He has shaped me in several ways, which I still hold very dear to myself, even if I may not say it directly to him. One of the many things that makes working with him so exciting and special is that it doesn’t feel like we are working on a film. Every day on the set feels like a learning experience. It’s like we have entered a workshop or an acting class, and every scene has a lesson for you.”
Portraying Jaswant Singh Khalra took an emotional toll
While the collaboration proved creatively fulfilling, Diljit admitted that stepping into the shoes of Jaswant Singh Khalra was among the toughest challenges of his acting career.“It’s honestly one of the hardest films I have ever made in my career. Emotionally and physically, it extracted everything out of all of us. There were the long days, difficult conditions and intense scenes. But ultimately, it was the nature of the subject matter which really clung on to me. I think this is perhaps the first film in my career which required me to recuperate after the shoot.”Unlike his usual routine of jumping into another project, the actor revealed that he needed time to detach himself from the role.“Once a film is wrapped, I quickly move on as I don’t enjoy taking a break. However, after this film, I had to take a week off to process everything that I went through portraying Jaswant Singh Khalra. The scenes, the emotions, and the aspects of the character lingered on, so it took time for me to pull away from that.”
Researching the role changed his perspective
Diljit also shared that he spent considerable time reading documents and testimonies related to Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life before filming began. He described the research process as emotionally overwhelming.“There are a lot of documents, real accounts, and testimonies that were so difficult even to read. Most of these real-life incidents were heart-wrenching. I was unable to process all of it. There were times during the research that I broke down because the reality was so strong and heavy.”He added that the film captures only a fraction of Khalra’s journey and hoped audiences would understand the extraordinary courage behind his story.“What we have shown in the film is a small fraction of what really happened because you cannot recreate everything that happened. The reality is more painful than what we have depicted. I was carrying that with me throughout. It’s not a story of a single person but one about unprecedented courage in unimaginable circumstances. Jaswant Singh Khalra was aware of all the dangers. He knew that he and his family were at risk, and still he stood by his beliefs and the truth. That kind of courage is very rare, and you cannot approach it with anything but responsibility.”Calling ‘Satluj’ more than just another film, Diljit concluded, “Beyond being a film, this has been an emotional experience for me. It has been a learning and a profoundly humbling experience. This story has left an indelible impact on me and my perspective towards life. I hope that people will walk out of the theatre feeling emotional and yet inspired.”‘Satluj’ is currently streaming on Zee5.
