Director Honey Trehan Reveals Diljit Dosanjh Charged Re 1 for Playing Jaswant Singh Khalra’s Role in ‘Satluj’: ‘He stood up from his chair and touched the script on his forehead’ |

Caught in a long censorship battle and removed within 48 hours of ZEE5’s release, Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’ has been in the news. Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the film, the director Dear Trehan It has now been revealed that Diljit charged only Re 1 for the project and after learning about the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, he did not accept the usual fee. According to the film’s producers, the actor thought it was “shameful” to be charged for playing such an extraordinary character.Trehan said Diljit’s commitment to the film never wavered despite facing various hurdles, including certification disputes with film companies. central board of film certification (CBFC) and its subsequent removal from OTT. The filmmaker explained that he had always envisioned a Sikh actor playing Jaswant Singh Kalra, believing the role required someone who understood the community and its lived experiences.“The film wouldn’t exist if Diljit wasn’t there. I wanted an actor who understood the world. I was passionate about playing Sardar because if I put a Bollywood actor in the film, the narrative would suddenly become, ‘This actor is playing Sardar.’ That would be unfair to the people who were Khalra Sahab’s journey and the pain that this story has caused,” he told The Print in an interview. Trehan went on to recall his first meeting with Diljit in 2021, which was initially planned to be a brief 30-minute discussion. During the meeting, he shared his research and introduced the actor to the life and work of Jaswant Singh Khalra.According to the director, Diljit was immediately moved after seeing Kara’s photo and made a decision on the spot. “He stood up from his chair, touched the script to his forehead, and said, ‘Waheguru,’ ‘How can I get paid to play someone like Khalra? This is so disgraceful.'”Trehan said he still insisted on paying actors, but Diljit refused to accept regular fees. “However, when the director insisted, the singer simply said that if he wanted to pay him for contractual purposes, he could just pay him Re 1.”“Satluj” is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who went on to become one of Punjab’s most prominent human rights activists. His investigation into the state’s alleged cremations of nearly 25,000 unidentified persons between 1984 and 1994 brought widespread national attention to the issue.According to a court ruling cited by the filmmakers, Khalra was kidnapped in police custody in 1995 and later murdered.