New docuseries on Lawrence Bishnoi faces political, legal backlash in Punjab
The upcoming docuseries on dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has sparked a major controversy in Punjab, with political leaders and victims’ families calling for an immediate ban ahead of its April 27 premiere.
Titled ‘Lawrence of Punjab’, the new show to be aired on ZEE5, is based on life of Bishnoi who has gained international notoriety for allegedly running a sprawling criminal syndicate from behind bars.
Despite being incarcerated since 2015, Bishnoi’s influence has reportedly expanded far beyond his native state Punjab, with his gang implicated in high-profile assassinations such as those of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala and politician Baba Siddique. The 33-year-old gangster is currently lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail. In September 2025, the government of Canada listed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday served a legal notice on the makers seeking a ban on the docuseries, alleging it would glorify gangster culture. Warring said he will also file a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana high court against the screening of the television series, claiming that it has the potential of leading to dangerous influence on youngsters.
Slain singer Moose Wala’s father Balkaur Singh also expressed his strong resentment against the docuseries. “There is no justification for showcasing the life of a person associated with extortion and the murder of my son, especially while the family still awaits justice,” Balkaur told reporters in Mansa.
Moose Wala was shot dead by armed assailants in Jawaharke village of Mansa district on May 29, 2022. Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, then a close aide of Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for Moose Wala’s murder in a Facebook post. Brar and Bishnoi have now reportedly fallen out and run rival syndicates.
“The show portrays the life of a gangster that raises concerns. It is unfortunate the entertainment world chose to make a series on a character that would cause scaremongering in the society,” said Balkaur.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Arshdeep Singh Kler also sought a ban on the release of the series and asked whether Punjab was being defamed under a conspiracy. Through this series, an attempt is being made to show the world that the youth of Punjab are gangsters, he alleged.
In response to the outcry, Zee5 and Riverland Entertainment have defended the project as a sociological study directed by Raghav Darr.
Earlier, Warring condemned the series as an affront to “Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiyat,” arguing that a territory defined by the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, farmers, and soldiers should never be identified with a criminal behind bars. “This will not only promote and glorify gangster culture, it will amount to insulting Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat; the holy land of gurus, rishis and pirs will now be identified with a dreaded gangster,” he said.
Warring questioned the wisdom of the makers to “promote the culture of crime and violence.” “This is not a work of art and entertainment, but a criminal act to instigate and abet youngsters towards the world of crime”, he said.
The Congress leader also questioned the “silence” of the state and the central government over such a “blatant insult to Punjab.” In the legal notice, Warring wrote, “The description of the web series itself shows that it would be glorifying the life of a gangster which would amount to promotion of unlawful activities. The subject matter of the series is therefore not fictional in abstraction, but relates to a real individual associated with ongoing criminality, thereby attracting heightened legal scrutiny.”
Moose Wala’s father also echoed Warring’s sentiments. “Politics has become increasingly dependent on criminal elements. The central and Punjab governments have failed to combat the nuisance of drugs, criminals and gangsters,” he alleged.
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Neel Garg rubbished the charges that the Bhagwant Mann government was going soft on criminals. “The AAP government has zero tolerance for organised crime and the state police have busted several gangster modules,” said Garg. The AAP disapproves of the making of any film or web series that glorifies criminals, he added.
Kaveri Das, the business head for Hindi at Zee5, said that the docuseries is “not about glorifying individuals” but aims to examine the “ecosystem” where student politics and media amplification intersect to shape digital syndicates. “The show traces the journey of a criminal identity through the lens of culture, systems, and visibility,” say the makers.
The demand for a ban is further fuelled by Bishnoi’s jail interview of 2023, with critics fearing this series will once again sanitise a criminal’s image for public entertainment.
