Tarsem Jassar's Dastaar still awaiting Censor certificate days before its July 17 release; and it's not first Punjabi film to face this | Exclusive
PTC Web Desk: With just days left before its scheduled worldwide release on July 17, Punjabi film Dastaar starring Tarsem Jassar and Yograj Singh in lead roles is yet to receive its censor certificate, even though the film's screening has already taken place on July 8.
The delay has put the film's release date in doubt and reopened a question that keeps surfacing in Punjabi cinema: why do films built around Punjab's history, Punjabi identity and Sikh heritage so often end up waiting the longest for clearance?
In an exclusive conversation with PTC News, people associated with the film said the movie was screened by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Delhi on July 8. As per the usual process, the certification details, including any cuts suggested by the board, are generally uploaded on the CBFC website within a day or two after the screening. The film was scheduled to release on July 17. However, despite repeatedly approaching the CBFC, the makers have not received any response, and the certification details have still not been uploaded to the website.
Dastaar isn't an isolated case. Earlier this year, Chardikala , a film tracing the life of Bimal Kaur Khalsa, faced its own wait for certification ahead of a planned release. More recently, Satluj, the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer based on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, spent roughly four years tied up with the Central Board of Film Certification before it finally reached audiences on a streaming platform (Zee5) this month. However, it was pulled from Indian platforms within 48 hours over sovereignty concerns. And now, it has been removed internationally as well.
Taken together, these cases have fuelled a growing sense of frustration in Punjab's film circles and among audiences, many of whom feel that stories rooted in the state's history and the Sikh community are being held to a different, harsher standard than other regional cinema.
Dastaar has already completed its screening process, a key step in the certification pipeline. However, the board has not yet issued a formal certificate. The film brings together Tarsem Jassar and veteran actor-politician Yograj Singh in the lead roles and has been positioned as one of the bigger Punjabi releases of the season.
- PTC NEWS
