Punjabi film 'Shooter', based on gangster Sukha Kahlwan, gets a release date 2 years after former Punjab CM Capt. Amrinder Singh banned it

Gurnaaz Kaur

Chandigarh, December 29

Punjabi film 'Shooter', which is based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan, has finally got a release date.

In 2020, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had ordered a ban on the film saying ‘it promotes violence, heinous crimes, extortion, threats and criminal intimidation. Following the ban, an FIR was lodged and a case against the makers was registered under Sections 153 (intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity), 153B (prejudicial to national integration), 160 (committing affray), 107 (breach of peace) and 505 (public mischief) of the IPC in Mohali. 

But after facing several roadblocks, the film, starring Jayy Randhawa, Swalina, Vadda Grewal, Kanika Mann, is set to release in theatres on February 4, 2022. 

Expressing his joy on getting the permission to screen the film, producer KV Dhillon, says "I just want to thank god and judiciary for allowing our movie to be shown in cinemas, I am happy for my whole team. We all waited for this day and finally after two years this day has come.”

The movie hasn’t undergone any drastic change and there haven’t been too many cuts either. Dhillon says viewers are in for a surprise, “We have not made any changes in the movie, but there are some additional surprises that you will come to know when you will watch this movie in theatre. Yes, there are a few cuts, which are unnoticeable."

Commenting about Capt Amrinder Singh’s opinion of about the film as a medium to ‘promote violence’, Dhillon says, “We respect their opinion, but only by watching the 3-minute trailer, one should not pass a judgement. I believe it is important to know the whole story before saying anything. We are here to produce and promote entertainment, nothing else." 

Dhillon calls ‘Shooter’ a reflection of reality. He thinks it’s a film that can be watched with family. “We are not showing any violence. Movies are made from things that happen in the society, so we have not created anything that people aren’t aware of nor is it something that has not been shown on the big screen before. It's a normal action film that you can enjoy with your family,” he says.