After a long certification journey, ‘Satluj’ (previously titled ‘Punjab ’95’) has finally made it to OTT. The film, inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, marks Diljit Dosanjh and director Dear Trehan. Looking back on the experience, the actor spoke about his deep trust with the filmmakers and the impact Trehan had on his career.Praising the director in an interview to Variety India, Diljit said, “Working with Honey Trehan was a phenomenal experience. The first thing I would mention about him is his energy. I have not come across many people who have such immense enthusiasm and enthusiasm, especially from the first shot to the last shot of the day. Even after packing up, his energy never faded away.”He also recalled that it was Honey Trehan who encouraged him to audition for his first Hindi film, Udta Punjab.“Working with Honey sir was very inspiring and my relationship with him has grown over the years. In fact, when I started my career in the Hindi film ‘Udta Punjab’, Honey Trehan called me and asked me to audition. I consider him an elder brother and he was one of the first few people to encourage me and show confidence in my talent, so I owe him a lot. I have learned a lot from him, both on the sets of this film and throughout the film.” Over the years. “Diljit explains that working with Trehan never felt like a routine film shoot. Instead, every day on set became an opportunity to hone your craft.“He shaped me in so many ways that, even though I might not say that to him directly, I still hold very dear to my heart. One of the reasons that working with him was so exciting and special is that it didn’t feel like we were making a movie. Every day on set felt like a learning experience. It’s like we’ve entered a workshop or an acting class, and every scene teaches you a lesson. “
Playing Jaswant Singh Khalra took an emotional toll
While the collaboration was creatively satisfying, Diljit admits that stepping into the shoes of Jaswant Singh Khalra was one of the toughest challenges of his acting career.“Honestly, it was one of the hardest films I’ve ever made in my career. It took everything out of all of us, emotionally and physically. There were long days, difficult conditions and intense scenes. But in the end, it was the nature of the subject matter that really attracted me. I think this was probably the first movie in my career that required me to recover after shooting. “Unlike his usual practice of jumping into another project, the actor revealed that he needed time to detach himself from the character.“After the film, I move on quickly because I don’t like taking breaks. However, after the film, I had to take a week off to process everything I went through as Jaswant Singh Khalra. There were aspects of the setting, emotion, and characters that lingered, so it took me some time to get over that. “
Studying the character changed his perspective
Diljit also said that he spent considerable time reading documents and testimonies related to the life of Jaswant Singh Kalra before filming began. He described the research process as emotional.“There are a lot of documents, actual accounts and testimonies that are hard to even read. Most of these real-life events are heart-wrenching. I can’t handle it all. During the research, I sometimes broke down because the reality was so intense and heavy. “He added that the film captures only a small part of Kahala’s journey and hopes viewers will understand the extraordinary courage behind his story.“What we show in the movie is only a small part of what really happened because you can’t recreate everything that happened. The reality is more painful than we describe. I carried it with me throughout. This is not the story of one man, but of unprecedented courage in unimaginable circumstances. Jaswant Singh Khalra was aware of all the dangers. He knew he and his family were in danger, but he still stood by his faith and truth. This kind of courage is very rare and you cannot achieve it except by duty. “Diljit concludes that ‘Satluj’ is not just another film, “It was more than just a film for me, it was an emotional experience. It was a learning experience and a deeply humbling experience. This story has left an indelible impact on me and my outlook on life. I hope people walk out of the theater feeling emotional yet inspired.”“Satluj” is currently airing on Zee5.
