Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, producer, writer and actor of the controversial movie Sadda Haq, explains Divya Kaushik why the film, which examines youth turning militant during the 80s, was banned
During 2004, Kuljinder Singh Sidhu heard about a jail break in Chandigarh’s Burail prison.
Three inmates had fled by digging a 96-foot-long and 16-feet deep tunnel.
“I had only read or heard of such things in Hollywood movies. I was excited to meet the people and talk to them,” says Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, the actor, producer and writer of the controversial film Sadda Haq. After bans at multiple levels, the historical drama releases today.
Set during the 1980s and early 90s, it depicts turmoil in Punjab, through a fictional story.
“The script is based on real incidents. But the story is fictional,” explains Sidhu.
It is an account of a young Canadian Sikh who visits India as part of this thesis on minorities at war.
When he learns about Punjab history, he is curious to know more. And his quest leads him to Kartaar Singh, a former hockey player who takes him back to the militant years.
“This story depicts how I got to know about most of the things. After the jailbreak, I met inmates who fled. They told me they did not have a criminal background. Their experiences with the police force in Punjab took them to militancy. The system of government and Punjab police was such, it prompted many youngsters to fight it. Someone said that their families suffered and they were compelled to take the violent route.”
Sidhu added that after the film’s completion, he realised the Censor Board might have problems with scenes and dialogues, “though it was not too violent or abusive.”
On October 20, 2012, the film was taken to the Censor Board, which rejected its release saying “it promotes wrong ideas of how people turn into militants.” The film was also screened for the Revising Committee. And after support from religious groups and SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee), the case was moved to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
“They cleared the film with an U/A certificate and said it was a fictional story. SGPC supported it throughout. The movie was screened to seniors, who later wrote a letter to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry saying it presented a true picture of Punjab. FCAT gave the release date as April 5. But a day before that, Punjab Government had it banned.”
The producer adds, “I wouldn’t like to say much, but Punjab Government chose a committee of police officers to see the movie, who were unlikely to give the green signal. It’s a Badal government. And even SGPC is headed by Badal. So after the Punjab government ban, even SGPC could not support the film openly. I was disappointed when Punjab government banned the release of the film. Other states followed suit and the film suffered. We went to the Supreme Court who passed a judgement saying that the film could release with an A certificate.”
He says one reason he did not produce a film on the lives of the characters, was “because I had to take permissions from 40-50 individuals and their families. That was tedious. Moreover, I did not want to make a film on a personal journey, but the history of Punjab. I often hear discussions in Punjab that militancy can return. I’ve wondered why they say this. Why was it born at allIJ This film has some answers. I concluded that militancy will not return to Punjab. It is and will remain peaceful,” he ends.