After a long certification journey, ‘Satluj’, earlier titled ‘Punjab ’95’, has finally made it 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 on the experience, the actor spoke of 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 working with Honey Trehan. The first thing I’ll mention about him is his energy. I haven’t come across too many people with such excitement and enthusiasm, especially from the first to the last take of the day.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 started my career in Hindi cinema with ‘Udta Punjab’, it was Honey Trehan who had called me and offered me an audition. I see him as an elder brother, and he was one of the first to encourage me and show faith in him, so I’ve learned a lot from my talent. on the set of this film or in general over the years.”Diljit explained that working with Trehan has never felt like a routine film shoot. Instead, every day on set became an opportunity to hone his craft.“He’s shaped me in so many ways that I’m still very fond of myself, even though I might not tell him so directly. One of the many things that makes working with him so exciting and special is that it doesn’t feel like we’re working on a movie. Every day on set feels like a learning experience.” It’s like we’ve walked into a workshop or an acting class, and every scene has a lesson for you.”
Portraying Jaswant Singh Khalra took an emotional toll
Although the collaboration proved creatively satisfying, Diljit admitted that stepping into the shoes of Jaswant Singh Khalra was one of the toughest challenges of his acting career.“Honestly, it’s one of the toughest films I’ve done in my career. Emotionally and physically, it took everything out of all of us. There were long days, difficult conditions and intense scenes. But ultimately it was the nature of the subject that really grabbed me. I think this is perhaps the first film in my career that forced me to recover after shooting.”Unlike his usual routine of jumping into another project, the actor revealed that he needed time to detach himself from the role.“After I finish a film, I move on quickly because I don’t like to take a break. However, after this film, I had to take a week off to process everything I went through to play Jaswant Singh Khalra. The scenes, the emotions, the aspects of the character lingered, so it took me a while to get away from that.”
Researching the paper changed his perspective
Diljit also shared that he spent considerable time reading documents and testimonies related to the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra before starting the shoot. She described the research process as emotionally overwhelming.“There are many documents, real accounts and testimonies that were so difficult to even read. Most of these real-life incidents were heartbreaking. I couldn’t process it all. There were times during the investigation that I broke down because the reality was so strong and heavy.”He added that the film only captures a part of Khalra’s journey and hoped the audience would understand the extraordinary courage behind his story.“What we’ve shown in the film is a small part of what actually happened because you can’t recreate everything that happened. The reality is more painful than what we have represented. I carried it with me the whole time. It is not the story of one person, but of 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 yet he stood by his beliefs and the truth. That kind of courage is very rare, and you can’t approach it with anything but responsibility.”Diljit said that “Beyond being a film, this has been an emotional experience for me. It has been a learning and a deeply humbling experience. This story has left an indelible impact on me and my outlook on life. I hope people leave the theater feeling emotional and at the same time inspired.”‘Satluj’ is currently playing on Zee5.