A film starring Indian actor Diljit Dosanjh has been pulled from streaming platform ZEE5 just two days after its release, sparking controversy over the circumstances of its removal, per bbc.com.
Satluj, inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, went live on Friday but was taken down before the weekend was out, with ZEE5 citing unspecified “current developments”.
ZEE5 said the film would remain unavailable in India “until further notice” but gave no further explanation. A spokesperson for producer RSVP Movies told The Indian Express the removal had come on government orders, a claim the authorities have not addressed. The BBC has approached India’s information and broadcasting ministry for comment.
Dosanjh confirmed the film’s removal in a live social media broadcast, saying he had anticipated the ban but was surprised by how quickly it came. He said the production had deliberately limited promotional activity because of the uncertainty surrounding release, adding that had they publicised it more heavily, the film may never have been released at all. He said he was nonetheless relieved audiences had finally been able to see it after years of delay.
Completed in 2022, Satluj had never reached Indian cinemas due to a prolonged dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The film dramatises Khalra’s investigation into alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by security forces during Punjab’s Sikh separatist insurgency, which killed thousands between the early 1980s and mid-1990s. Khalra himself disappeared in 1995 and was later found to have been abducted and murdered; several Punjab police officers were subsequently convicted over his killing.
The film was originally titled Ghallughara, referencing historic massacres of Sikhs, before the CBFC asked for a change of title during certification. It was renamed Punjab ’95 but withdrawn from its planned 2023 Toronto International Film Festival premiere while certification issues remained unresolved.
Director Honey Trehan has said the CBFC’s objections grew from an initial 21 to 127 proposed cuts, targeting references to reality, including Khalra’s name and scenes of police violence, and raised concerns the film could stir unrest in Punjab. The filmmakers challenged the demands in the Bombay High Court before withdrawing their petition and agreeing to the board’s changes in hope of certification, according to The Hindu. The CBFC has not commented publicly; the BBC has sought its response.
With cinema release still blocked, the makers opted to launch directly on ZEE5 under the new title Satluj, bypassing CBFC certification, which is not required for streaming releases in India. Trehan said the film had gone out “without any cuts or compromises” to its original intent, despite losing the title Punjab ’95. Streaming platforms are instead governed by the Information Technology Rules, 2021, covering age ratings and grievance procedures, but remain subject to government takedown orders.
Following the removal, Trehan told The Indian Express he did not know how to react to the development. ZEE5 said it stood by the film and its creative vision and hoped to reinstate it soon, without giving a timeframe. Despite its brief run, Satluj drew strong reviews, with the Hollywood Reporter among those praising it.
•Featured image: Diljit Dosanjh plays human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Satluj/Getty Images