Diljit Dosanjh charged Rs 1 fee to play Jashwant Singh Khalra in ‘Satleoj’, director Honey Trehan reveals: ‘He stood up from his chair, touched the script to his forehead’ | Hindi movie news

Caught in a long censorship war and removed from ZEE5 within 48 hours of release, Diljit DosanjhIts ‘Satleuj’ remains in the news. In the ongoing controversy surrounding the film, the director Madhu Trehan Now revealed that Diljit charged only Rs 1 for the project, and did not accept his usual fee after learning about human rights activist Jasbant Singh Khalra’s life. According to the filmmaker, the actor believed it would be “shameful” to be paid to portray such an extraordinary person.Trehan said Diljit’s commitment to the film never wavered despite the hurdles it faced, including its certificate dispute. Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its subsequent removal from OTT. The filmmaker explained that he had always envisioned a Sikh actor to play the role of Jasbant Singh Khalra, believing that the role required someone who understood the community and its lived experience.“Without Diljit, the film wouldn’t have existed. I wanted an actor who knew that world. I was keen to cast a Sardar because if I put a Bollywood actor in the film, the narrative would suddenly become, ‘This actor is playing a Sardar.’ This is Khalra Sahib’s journey and injustice will be done to those whose pain this story carries,” he said in an interview with The Print. Trehan went on to recall his first meeting with Diljit in 2021, which was initially planned as 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 instantly moved after seeing Khalra’s picture and made his decision on the spot. “He stood up from his chair, touched the script to his forehead and said, ‘Waheguru’, ‘How can I charge someone like Khalra to act? It would be shameful.’Trehan said he still insisted on paying the actor, but Diljit refused to accept a conventional fee. “However, when the director insisted, the singer only said that if he wanted to pay him for the purpose of the contract, he could only pay him Rs 1.”‘Satluj’ is based on the life of Yashwant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who became one of Punjab’s most prominent human rights activists. His investigation into the alleged cremation of nearly 25,000 unidentified people in the state between 1984 and 1994 brought the matter to widespread national attention.According to a court ruling cited by the filmmakers, Khalra was abducted while in police custody in 1995 and later killed.