Lawrence of Punjab makers agree to change title after High Court observations

Zee Entertainment told the High Court it is willing to change the title of Lawrence of Punjab. The court said it found no objection in the content, but the dispute over Punjab and Lawrence Bishnoi references continues.

In Short

• Zee Entertainment sought time as its creative team finalises a revised title
• Judges said the film content seemed drawn from public domain reports
• Punjab opposed the film itself and sought removal of Punjab references

The makers of the upcoming series Lawrence of Punjab, reportedly based on jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, have agreed to change the title after observations made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court during a hearing on the controversy surrounding the project.

During the proceedings, Zee Entertainment informed the court that the creative team would decide on a new title and sought time to finalise it. The company assured the bench that the revised title would not include the name “Lawrence Bishnoi”.

The High Court said it had viewed the film and found “nothing objectionable” in the content apart from the title itself. The court observed that the project appeared to rely largely on newspaper reports and publicly available material. It further remarked that if the name “Lawrence Bishnoi” was removed from the title, it would have no objection to the release.

Punjab’s Advocate General, however, argued that the state objected not just to the title but to the film itself. He urged the court to direct the makers to remove both “Punjab” and all references to Bishnoi from the series.

Bishnoi’s counsel also sought the removal of the gangster’s name and photographs from the project. During the hearing, the High Court questioned the lawyer on whether any permissions had been obtained when Bishnoi had previously given media interviews.

The Centre, meanwhile, told the court that it had concerns over the project potentially disturbing law and order in Punjab, which was cited as one of the reasons behind the ban imposed on the release.

During arguments, Punjab’s Advocate General referred to the earlier Lawrence Bishnoi interview case, in which the High Court had taken suo motu cognisance and directed authorities to ensure gangsters were not glorified on social media. The court had earlier ordered the removal of posts promoting criminal activities.

Responding to this argument, the High Court observed that there was a distinction between “glorifying someone and criticising them”.

Here's the trailer of the docu-series:

The controversy around the series began after objections were raised over the title Lawrence of Punjab, which many argued glorified gangster culture and linked Punjab’s identity with organised crime. The title itself was reportedly inspired by the Oscar-winning classic Lawrence of Arabia.

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