The controversy around Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’ continues to spark debates with the filmmaker Gurvinder Singh is now mulling the removal of the film from Zee5 soon after its July 3 release. Although she describes the censorship as “disheartening”, Singh believes the film’s straightforward and uncompromising portrayal of the issue made it vulnerable to such action.‘Satluj’, directed by Honey Trehanis based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab in the 1990s.Speaking to Mid-Day about the controversy, Gurvinder Singh admitted that the film’s fate reflects the current socio-political climate. While he sympathized with the creators, he also felt that they might have anticipated these challenges given the nature of the subject matter.“The censorship that the film has gone through is disheartening. But this is the truth of the times we live in, and he [Trehan] should have been prepared [for this]”, he said.
Gurvinder Singh says the film’s straightforward narrative invites scrutiny
The National Award-winning filmmaker observed that there were alternative ways of telling the story that might have attracted less resistance. However, he acknowledged that Honey Trehan deliberately chose a hard-hitting approach to maximize the film’s impact.Explaining his point, Singh said, “There were other ways to tell the story. [That way] the government could have said, “Dekhne do logo ko”. When the government sees my films, they feel, ‘Iss mein kya hai? Dekhne yes. But Honey’s approach was that the film should have that impact and reach everyone. In this context, it is a very well made film. But the film faced this whole problem because it is so explicit, because the government knows that it will arouse people of different faiths for different reasons.“Recalling his experience of watching ‘Satluj’ during an advance screening in Chandigarh, Gurvinder Singh said the film left a lasting emotional impact on him, even though its narrative style was different from his own cinematic sensibilities.“It’s not my kind of movie because it leaves you with nothing to imagine. It shows everything explicitly, and that’s fine if the filmmaker thinks that’s the way to tell the story in the most compelling way. I was angry about what happened at that moment. So, they were successful in doing that,” he shared.
‘Satluj’ remains at the center of the censorship debate
Ever since Zee5 removed ‘Satluj’ just days after its digital release, the film has become the focus of a larger conversation about censorship and creative freedom. Several members of the film fraternity, along with political leaders, have questioned the decision to withdraw the film, and the debate continues to gain momentum across the country.