Sikh Community Comes Forward To Support Film On 1984  Carnage, Producer Blames Censor Board For Dilution

Entire sections of  Sikhs from various parts of the country have come forward to support and patronize producer Harry Sachdeva and director Shivaji Lotan Patil’s October 31 the film that attempts to recreate the carnage that followed the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi on October 31,1984.

Considered one of the darkest and most shameful chapters of Indian history the recreation of the carnage has stuck a deep chord in the Sikh community.

Says writer-producer Harry Sachdeva, “I am not surprised that the Sikh community has responded so emotionally to our film. These are all incidents from those 4 days after Indiraji’s death that really happened.Every Sikh who  lived to tell the tale has gone through the trauma described in my film. My family would have been wiped out if our Hindu friends had not helped us. I was a first-hand witness  to the incidents we see in the film.”

After seeing the film Sikh families and couples have sobbed. The film reminds them of a time that they can never forget, much as they’d like to.

Says Harry emotionally, “I haven’t shown even one incident in the film that isn’t true. Yet the censor board delayed my film by one year. They asked for over 60 verbal and visual cuts. For what?And cut what?Incidents that really happened? I was told by the censor board that these things never happened! I was asked to beep out a simple ‘saala’ from the soundtrack when Udta Punjab was allowed the ugliest expletives  abuses and profanities that mankind has ever uttered.”

Harry admits he never discussed the film with the CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani.  “I was only told about the censor objections by censorboard members. Now I feel if I had a chance to explain my film to Mr Nihalani things might have been different.  The unreasonable cuts have definitely diluted the impact of my film.”