Controversy over Diljit DosanjhSatluj’s film has taken a new political turn. Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has called the actor-singer a “cheater” while denying allegations that the Center had anything to do with the withdrawal of the film from Zee5.Speaking in Ludhiana, Bittu said the government has no control over OTT platforms and rejected claims that political pressure led to the removal of the film. Satluj disappeared from Zee5 within 48 hours of its release, drawing criticism from sections of the Punjab film industry, social media users and the Punjab government.Bittu claimed that the makers themselves pulled the film after earning the money they wanted.“Diljit Dosanjh only thinks about money,” he said.He went on to question the narrative surrounding the film’s removal. “We should have understood that there was something fishy when Diljit Dosanjh said that the film would be available on the OTT platform for two to three days and then it would be removed. If the government really intended to remove the film, why would it allow it to be played live?”“It seems that once they had earned the necessary money, they pulled the film. The government has no control over OTT platforms,” he added.
Bittu targets Diljit over Chamkila and his public image
Bittu did not stop at the Satluj controversy. He also criticized Diljit for his film choices and public image.Referring to Amar Singh Chamkila, Bittu said, “If Diljit Dosanjh had any respect for the women in his family like his mother or his sister, he would not have acted in the film Chamkila.”He accused the actor of making the film only to make money and asked why he had never made a film on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.The Union minister also described Diljit as an “impostor” and accused him of cheating the people of Punjab while living in Los Angeles.“He is deceiving Punjab while sitting in Los Angeles,” Bittu said.Talking about Diljit’s concerts abroad, he claimed that the singer is demanding that people carrying Khalistan flags be removed from his shows before asking, “Which agencies are behind Diljit?”
“I’m not against the movie”
Bittu said he was not opposed to films based on Punjab’s militancy years, but felt that Satluj presented only one side of the story.“I am not against the film, but a one-sided story should not be shown,” he said.He also challenged Diljit Dosanjh and director Honey Trehan to make a film about the police officers who lost their lives during the insurgency.“Will Diljit Dosanjh and Honey Trehan make a film about police officers who were killed during the 1984 era?” he asked
Why is Satluj facing controversy?
The debate started after Satluj was pulled from Zee5 just two days after it started airing. The sudden move led many to question whether the platform had acted under political pressure.Adding to the speculation, Diljit had earlier said that the film would be available on the platform only for a short period before being pulled.The film reportedly explores Punjab’s years of militancy and includes references to the Beant Singh government and the role of the Punjab Police during that period.