Controversial Moosewala documentary out on birth anniversary, family fumes

On the 32nd birth anniversary of Shubhdeep Singh, aka Sidhu Moosewala, the BBC released a documentary on his killing three years ago, despite objections from his family. The family argued that the documentary was made without their permission and sought a stay on its release. To mark his birthday, Moosewala’s family also released three new songs while continuing their legal battle to halt the documentary's distribution.

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The BBC World Service surprised many by releasing two episodes of the documentary on YouTube at 5 am on Wednesday, ahead of its scheduled screening in Mumbai. Moosewala's father, Balkaur Singh, has filed a petition in a Mansa court, seeking a stay on the documentary, with the court set to consider the matter on June 12.

The documentary features Moosewala’s friends, journalists, music industry members & police officers and includes an audio interview with gangster Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind behind Moosewala’s murder. The first episode, “The Killing Call,” covers Moosewala’s early life and rise to fame, while the second episode delves into his murder and conflicts with gangsters.

Reacting to the release, Balkaur Singh said, “The BBC was to screen the documentary in the evening, but when we approached the court on Tuesday, they released it on YouTube on Wednesday morning. If some people have so much evidence, why don’t they present it in court?” He added, “My current situation is worse than even my son's (Moosewala).”

In addition to the documentary, Moosewala’s family released three new songs on his official YouTube channel, which quickly gained popularity. The songs “0008,” “Neal,” and “Take Notes” are part of the “Moose Print” extended play (EP), bringing the total number of songs released posthumously to 11.

A prayer ceremony and health camp were also held at Moosewala’s house in Moosa village. The documentary’s interview with Goldy has raised questions about the functioning of the police and other agencies, as Goldy remains at large.

“He was using his political power, money and resources to help our rivals, those who killed our brothers. We wanted him to face punishment for what he had done. He should have been booked and brought to jail, but no one was listening to us. So we took it upon ourselves. When decency falls on deaf ears, it is the gunshot that gets heard. We had no option but to kill him. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was either him or us,” said Goldy in his interview in the documentary.