Have you watched the film? How did you react to it?
I have watched the film, and I keep watching it repeatedly. Look at the kind of heroes Punjab has given to the society. And the kind of secular heroes it has given to the society. Those who, completely disregarding their own lives, their families, and their personal well-being, serve society. We used to hear about Bhai Kanhaiya Ji who was a great social worker during the time of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj Ji, after whom the Red Cross Societies are named. And look at Khalra Sahib, he didn’t think about himself at all. We had such heroes among us.'”
How are people in the USA reacting to the film?
Whether you go to a shopping mall or to someone’s house for dinner or just bunch of guys hanging out together, all are talking about the film or watching the film. Diljit Dosanjh mentioned my name during his live stream. And I couldn’t resist commenting on it. People have been asking me about the film and why has it been removed from OTT in India.
Diljit Dosanjh feared that the film may be pulled down.
Yes, I heard Diljit say that he was afraid the film would be taken down. History has shown that whenever there is a film or a song that supports Punjab or expresses love for Punjab, people often try to remove it. They label it as ‘Khalistani’ or even ‘terrorist’ and try to suppress it. But this film is about humanity. It is the kind of compassion every human being should show, just as Khalra Sahib did.
On Diljit Dosanjh replying to his message.
Although Diljit and I haven’t been in touch recently, we have met a few times. He would tell me, “I watch your live sessions.” I remember when I was doing The Kapil Sharma Show, we happened to be staying at the same hotel and met during breakfast. Diljit immediately asked Kangvir, who’s always with him, to tell me what he had said about me. Kangvir told me, “Every live session of Jassi Paji, I make sure to show it to Diljit Paji.”
At that time, we were working with a different group of musicians, and our setup was still quite new. I was very particular about sound quality, and Diljit would often ask me questions about sound checks. Sometimes I even livestreamed my sound checks, and he would watch those carefully. It meant a lot to me that he reacted that way and spoke so warmly about me. I am very grateful to him.
What do you have to say about the film being removed from the OTT?
I believe the truth can never be suppressed. Yes, the film has been removed from the OTT platform. I honestly don’t understand why it was taken down. Was there government pressure? I don’t think so, because neither the Punjab government nor the central government has issued any statement about it. So, I don’t know why it was removed.
It is painful to think that people keep trying to suppress the truth. But the film is now on everyone’s WhatsApp. People have it on their phones and other devices, and they are watching it repeatedly.
Of course, removing it from the platform is likely to encourage piracy. But sometimes controversy itself makes something more popular, and perhaps that message needed to reach people. Financially, it may not benefit the producers as much, but I believe it will certainly benefit the director and the actors by bringing more attention to their work.
I wholeheartedly congratulate Honey Trehan and Diljit Dosanjh for choosing such a subject. Simply deciding to make a film on this topic is historic in itself.
