The Center ordered OTT platform ZEE5 to pull Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Satluj’, citing “security concerns” and “obligations” under IT rules 2021, government sources said on Monday, even as political parties in Punjab and apex Sikh body SGPC pushed for its release, and the actor-singer called for it to be seen wherever they can.
“Satluj” was removed citing IT rules 2021
‘Satluj’, which details activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life in Punjab during the turbulent 1990s, when the state was reeling from terrorism, was stuck with the censors for over three years. Released uncut on ZEE5 on Friday, the film was pulled from the platform on Sunday evening.OTT content is not under the purview of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and is regulated under the provisions of Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediate Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Ethics) Rules, 2021.
‘Sutlej’ removed due to ‘security issues’
A government official said the makers of “Sutlej” had applied for CBFC certification in 2022 with its original title “Punjab 95”, but they did not accept the 127 cuts suggested by the censor board and held back its release.“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 matter, Zee was asked to withdraw it (the film).“The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations of the intermediate guidelines. If they want to release the film in theaters and OTT, they should follow the set norms,” the official told PTI.
Diljit Dosanjh encourage fans to download the film
Dosanjh said on Monday that this should happen, while ZEE5 appealed to people not to support piracy as many had already downloaded the film.The Honey Trehan-directed film delves into the life of Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab over a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994. He was kidnapped in 1995 and never seen again. In 2005, four members of the Punjab Police were convicted of Khalra’s abduction and murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court increased his sentence to life imprisonment.On Friday, the film arrived quietly on ZEE5 without any cuts, but with a different title and zero promotions, which Dosanjh said was because they didn’t want to spoil what little chance the film had.
Political parties rally behind ‘Satluj’
The matter quickly gained political traction with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemning the removal of the film from the OTT platform and saying the state needed to face its past.People should know what happened during those days in Punjab, said Kulwant Singh Manan, chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).“What if the reality is shown and the public knows what happened during those days in Punjab,” Manan told PTI over phone.Condemning the “arbitrary removal” of the film, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Efforts to hide government atrocities committed against Sikhs can never succeed.“Today the honorable courts are giving punishment to the policemen of that time. How can you turn your back on these decisions of the courts?” Dhami asked.Criticizing the removal of the film, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “This is not mere censorship, it is an assault on our collective memory, truth and freedom of expression… Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not repression.”Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira echoed this.“I strongly condemn the deletion of Diljit Dosanjh’s promulgated film ‘Satluj’ on police brutality in the 1995 abduction and killing of human rights activist Professor Jaswant Singh Khalra,” he said.AAP leader and MP Malvinder Singh Kang said censorship becomes its most dangerous weapon when a nation starts fearing its own history.AAP’s Baltej Pannu said, “The younger generation wants to know what happened in Punjab during 1978, 1984, the 1990s and other crucial periods. If they are denied books and documentaries, films become an important way to preserve historical truth.”Asked for comments on the removal of OTT from the film, Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said, “I am finding out the reason. We are taking up the matter.”In an extensive session on Instagram Live from the US where he is on tour, Dosanjh expressed his anguish.“I had a feeling on Friday that something like this was going to happen. It was already in the back of my mind. It’s not something that surprised me (the ban). I thought it would be banned on Monday when the offices open…“But I had no idea that it would happen on Sunday evening itself. We didn’t even promote the film, we released it like that. If we had promoted it, it wouldn’t have lasted even two days. But I am satisfied that people have seen the film, it has reached them,” Dosanjh said in Punjabi.“It was very important that it reached you and this has happened… I am grateful that what we wanted to say and in the way we wanted to say it was transmitted. It is your film and you can watch it however you want,” he said.“This was the only way to release the film… without saying anything because this was bound to happen,” Dosanjh said, adding that the more people try to stop the film, the more popular it will be as nothing disappears from the internet, not even a voice memo sent on Whatsapp.
ZEE5 had a slightly different view.
“We are doing our bit to bring ‘Satluj’ back. Please do your part, don’t support piracy. We remain committed to exploring all possible avenues to bring ‘Satluj’ back to you,” he said in an Instagram post.On Sunday night, he said, “In view of current developments, ‘Satluj’ will not be available in India until further notice…”The streamer didn’t specify what he meant by “current developments,” but said the response to the film had been overwhelming and they fully supported the creative conviction behind the film.
‘Satluj’ releases after delays
In 2023, the film was scheduled for its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but was pulled from the schedule without any official statement from the organizers.‘Punjab ’95’ was released worldwide on February 7, 2025, without any cuts except in India. But that launch didn’t happen either. The matter also resonated on social networks.Tagging the former CBFC chief To Prasoon Joshi in a post, comedian Kunal Kamra said Khalra had been kidnapped again, “this time by CBFC”.“And once again the industry at large is silent on what should alarm us all and affects us all. How can we give up our right to tell stories…especially such powerful and sensitive stories,” posted filmmaker Onir.director Anurag Basu told X that he never imagined Trehan would face anything like what Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi faced in his country.