A highly anticipated film starring Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, which details the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was abruptly removed from an Indian streaming platform within 48 hours of its release. The film, now titled Satluj, premiered on ZEE5 last week after a protracted four-year struggle with India's censorship authorities, only to disappear from the platform in India before the weekend concluded.
Directed by Honey Trehan, the movie chronicles the work of Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated and documented over 25,000 alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab during a period of intense insurgency in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Khalra himself was abducted and murdered in 1995. The film's journey to screens has been fraught with difficulties, including multiple title changes and extensive demands for cuts from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Originally named Ghallughara, a term deeply significant in Sikh history referring to massacres, the title was changed to Punjab '95 after objections from the CBFC. The filmmakers then challenged elements of the certification process in the Bombay High Court before withdrawing their case. Further complications arose when the film was pulled from its scheduled gala premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, with reports citing 'political forces' as influential in that decision.
Refusing to release what director Trehan described as a 'compromised' version, the team ultimately opted to bypass a theatrical release and instead debuted the uncut film on ZEE5 under its third title, Satluj. However, the film's availability in India was short-lived. ZEE5 issued a statement on social media confirming that Satluj would be 'unavailable in India until further notice' due to 'current developments', though it continues to be accessible internationally via ZEE5 Global.
Sources close to the matter have indicated to Indian media that the removal followed a review, with concerns that certain elements of the film 'could be misused by anti-India forces'. This incident highlights the complex regulatory landscape for content in India, where films intended for cinematic release require CBFC certification, but titles exclusive to streaming platforms are governed by the Information Technology Rules, 2021, which place responsibility for content regulation directly on the platforms themselves.