Sidhu was also marching with the protesters and his argument with security personnel on the way to Delhi went viral on social media. (Twitter/Screengrab)
Deep Sidhu, a 1984-born Punjabi actor from Muktsar district, studied law and practised for a brief period before he quit the Bar to work in films after winning the Kingfisher Model Hunt award. Though his first movie was Ramta Jogi in 2015, Sidhu became a star with the 2018 movie Jora Das Numbria, in which he played the lead role of a young gangster. The success of the sequel of this movie was impacted by the lockdown.
Sidhu is considered close to Bollywood star and Bharatiya Janta Party’s Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol. In fact, Deep Sidhu sort of entered politics when Deol got the BJP ticket to content from Gurdaspur, earlier represented by actor Vinod Khanna. Deol’s campaign leaned heavily on a local team, which included Sidhu, to connect with residents of the area.
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Deep Sidhu’s movie Jora Das Numbria-Second Chapter had just been released in March 2020 when the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed. Sidhu said during lockdown he extensively read the works of Ajmer Singh, who wrote mostly about how Punjab and Sikh history had been tampered with.
Deep Sidhu’s videos on different subjects from politics to history, economics and education started getting more views on his Facebook page during the lockdown. When protests around the farm Bills started gaining ground in Punjab, Sidhu started attending these gatherings. The September 25 bandh called by farmers’ bodies became a turning point when he along with other artistes and activists gave a call for a dharna at Shambu Border with Haryana. The unexpected crowd turnout overshadowed the show by farmer unions in rest of the state. 📣 Express Explained is now on Telegram
Excited by the response, Sidhu soon started a permanent dharna on the road side at Shambu garnerning a lot of media focus despite his lack of experince in politics. He also launched a platform along with his team to invite the important leaders from different areas to come together and fight for Punjab. https://twitter.com/devendrayadvinc/status/1332648421514113024 Contradicting the farmers’ unions
With his rising popularity, most farmers’ unions, especially ultra Left body Bhartiya Kisan Union Ugrahan, viewed Deep Sidhu as a threat to their agenda and claimed he was using his stardom to divert attention from the actual issue.
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As Sidhu repeatedly spoke about how the issue was not limited to MSP and had to be seen in the context of the federal structure and existence of Punjab, the farmers’ bodies showcased his pictures with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sunny Deol to claim a BJP-RSS hand in his agenda. Sidhu, however, denied these allegations and said he was fighting for the larger issue.
While most unions decided to not break the barricades put by the Haryana government to move towards Delhi as part of ‘Delhi Chalo’ call, Sidhu joined Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) to break the barricades at Shambu Border. This forced other unions also to move towards Delhi. Sidhu was also marching with the protesters and his argument with security personnel on the way to Delhi went viral on social media.
Deep Sidhu’s videos on different subjects from politics to history, economics and education started getting more views on his Facebook page during the lockdown. (Source: Facebook/Deep Sidhu)
Not shy to quote Bhindranwale
In his public meetings, Deep Sidhu is known to often quote Martin Luther King and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. His speeches are oriented around the demand for more rights for states to strengthen the federal structure under the Indian constitution. He has also claimed that while Punjab was fighting to strengthen the federal structure of India in 70s and 80s, the narrative by the state machinery misinterpreted this ‘struggle’ of Punjab.
Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication's key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts.
Core Beats & Specializations
Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.
National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups.
Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies:
1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht
"Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh" (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015.
"YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action" (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies.
"As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand" (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a "holy city" and its political implications.
2. Crime & National Security
"Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government's claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison.
"Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter" (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving "newly refurbished" firearms likely sent from across the border.
"15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions.
3. Political Analysis & Elections
"AAP wins 12 of 15 zones in SAD stronghold Majitha" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant shift in the 2025 rural elections where the Akali Dal lost its grip on a traditional fortress.
"Tarn Taran bypoll: woman faces threats after complaining to CM Mann about drug menace" (Nov 9, 2025): A ground report on the personal risks faced by citizens speaking out against the illegal drug trade in border villages.
"AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining" (Nov 14, 2025): Analyzing the 2025 assembly by-election results and the surprising performance of Independents backed by radical factions.
4. Human Interest
"Two couples and a baby: Punjab drug addiction tragedy has new victims" (Nov 20, 2025): A tragic investigative piece about parents selling an infant to fund their addiction.
"Kashmiri women artisans debut at Amritsar’s PITEX" (Dec 8, 2025): A feature on financial independence initiatives for rural women at the Punjab International Trade Expo.
Signature Beat
Kamaldeep is known for his nuanced understanding of border dynamics. His reporting often highlights the "drug crisis in the underprivileged localities" (like Muradpur in Tarn Taran, Nov 9, 2025), providing a voice to marginalized communities affected by addiction and administrative neglect.
X (Twitter): @kamalsbrar ... Read More
