Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ was removed from OTT within two days of its release and created quite a stir on the internet. According to the latest update on the issue, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking restoration of the film in ZEE5. The request comes just days after the film was pulled from the streaming platform less than 48 hours after its release. He claims the withdrawal violated the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, questions the lack of any publicly disclosed legal justification and calls for greater transparency from the authorities.The PIL is the latest twist in the row over ‘Satluj’, which is inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Since its removal, the film has drawn criticism from members of the film industry, Sikh organizations and civil liberties groups.Advocate Hakam Singh said the petition had been filed by Shravan Singh, a resident of Punjab and a subscriber of ZEE5, in public interest.“The film Sutlej, which was released on the ZEE5 platform on the 3rd, was pulled on the 5th. The petitioner has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, claiming that this is a violation of Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. IANS.He further said that the petition asks why the film was removed without any explanation being made public.“The PIL has been filed by Shravan Singh, a subscriber of ZEE5 and a citizen of Punjab, raising issues related to public interest. He has questioned the reasons why the film was withdrawn without any prior notice or transparent findings.”According to Hakam Singh, though the Center has constituted a three-member committee to look into the issue, the reasons for stopping the film’s run have not been disclosed.“A three-member committee has also been formed at the Center in this matter, but the reasons for stopping the film have not been made public. We expect the petition to come up for hearing tomorrow or the next working day.” Originally titled ‘Punjab 95’, ‘Satluj’ finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after remaining unreleased for almost four years. However, it was pulled from the platform in India on July 5.According to PTI, the Center directed ZEE5 to withdraw the film, citing “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Ethics) Rules, 2021.The dispute goes back to 2022, when the filmmakers presented the project to the Central Film Certification Board (CBFC) under its original title, ‘Punjab 95’. The certification process was halted after manufacturers refused to implement 127 cuts suggested by the council.A government official told PTI that the producers chose to release the film directly on an OTT platform with a different title without resolving pending certification issues.“They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and finally quietly released the film on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the jurisdiction of the CBFC. When the government came to know about the case, ZEE was asked to withdraw the film. The direction was given due to safety norms,” the official said.