The release of ‘Satluj’ on ZEE5 on July 3 briefly marked the end of a three-year battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which had kept the film off the screens. However, the OTT platform abruptly pulled the film in India on July 5. The biographical drama, earlier titled Punjab 95, is based on the life of social activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, played by Diljit Dosanjhand features Suvinder Pal Vicky in a surprising turn as the trigger-happy SSP Surjit Singh Sugga.In a recent interview, the ‘Kohrra’ actor reflected on the film’s abrupt withdrawal from streaming, the challenge of portraying one of his darkest characters while also playing a very different police officer in ‘Kohrra’ and why he continues to choose roles that offer substance during screen time.
Suvinder Pal Vicky on the sudden removal of ‘Satluj’.
Asked about her initial reaction to the withdrawal of ‘Satluj’ by the OTT platform in India just two days after it started streaming, Vicky told Variety India, “My view is that if we are still clinging to the belief that we are capable of healing our old wounds, or if we think that our present or future or our generations will not be able to digest the truth, the truth is that our break is not right. As soon as this film was played, pulled from the OTT platform within a couple of days. Everyone was happy and things were going well, but no one had any idea what was going to happen.Reflecting on the years of waiting for the film’s release, Vicky said, “Honey TrehanRonnie Screwvala, the actors, the whole team did our work and moved on to our next project, but it was exhausting because everyone kept asking about the release of the film. When it finally aired for two days, everyone was really excited about it. But that didn’t last long.”
Suvinder Pal Vicky on playing SSP Surjit Singh Sugga
Asked if it was difficult to say yes to playing someone as ruthless as SSP Surjit Singh Sugga, Vicky said it wasn’t a difficult decision, explaining how the role grew on him during research: “Not at all. After Honey Trehan narrated the role, I did a little research on the character. What kind of person he was and what he was like. Little by little, I started to find him more interesting.”The ‘Dhurandhar’ actor then detailed the demanding schedule of playing two very different police officers at the same time, shooting Kohrra by day and Satluj by night:“The shooting of ‘Kohraa’, in which I played the role of a police inspector, Balbir Singh, was nearing completion just as I was about to start shooting for ‘Satluj’. I was shooting for ‘Kohrra’ in Ludhiana during the day, and at night I was in a village near Tarn Taran to shoot a scene for ‘Satluj’. I faced a big challenge as an actor. Sugga and Balbir were both policemen and the uniform was the same khaki, but there was a stark difference between them. The Satluj policeman was a brutal person. It was a big challenge for me. I gave my 100% and I think I succeeded. People have told me they hate this character, and so do I.”Vicky also spoke about the responsibility she felt in portraying the character honestly, given the true story it is based on: “For me, it was very important to keep Suvinder aside and play Sugga. The violence or injustice that the police did at that time to the common people had to be explained. It was indeed a dark period for Punjab.”
Suvinder Pal Vicky on choosing substance during screen time
When asked why audiences see relatively little of him on screen despite the accolades he receives, Vicky said, “I do my work with complete honesty, so I feel good. As for doing little work, I do as much work as I have. I am hungry to work. I want to enjoy my work. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big role or a small one, but there should be some kind of challenge. So if I have a lot of work, I will give it 100% and entertain people.“
More about “Satluj”
Directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, ‘Satluj’ (originally titled ‘Punjab ’95’) is a hard-hitting biographical drama inspired by the life of revered human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the militancy era of the late 1980s and early 1990s in Punjab, the film follows Khalra’s terrifying crusade to investigate and expose thousands of alleged illegal abductions, extrajudicial killings and untraceable mass cremations by corrupt police personnel. The film became a lightning rod for censorship controversy, remaining locked in a grueling battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for years over more than 120 required cuts. While the uncut version briefly made it to a digital premiere on ZEE5 in July 2026, it was abruptly pulled within 48 hours following a directive from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.