Saturday, March 29, 2025
Mumbai, July 5: A major piece of news has emerged regarding Punjabi rockstar and global icon Diljit Dosanjh’s most-awaited film ‘Satluj’. In a significant setback for the film, which had been awaiting release for a long time, it has been removed from the OTT platform Zee5 within just two days of its release. Notably, the original name of this film was ‘Punjab 95’, and it had just started streaming on Zee5 on July 3.
The film had been awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for the past three years. When it was finally released after a long struggle, its journey for Indian viewers turned out to be very short, and it was taken down from the platform. Sharing a statement on its official Instagram account, Zee5 explained that ‘Satluj’ was receiving a spectacular response from the audience, but due to certain recent developments, the film had to be removed for the Indian audience until further notice. However, the company clarified that it stands firmly with the film’s entire creative team and is exploring appropriate ways to bring the film back to India.
Looking at the plot of the film, it is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose character is portrayed by Diljit Dosanjh. The film raises the sensitive issue of human rights violations through an investigation into the disappearance and cremation of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994, after which, in the year 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra himself disappeared under mysterious circumstances. In this abduction and murder case, four Punjab Police officers were later found guilty by the court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The film has been mired in heavy controversy since its inception. The Censor Board (CBFC) had imposed nearly 127 cuts on the film, which caused a significant delay in its release. It was even scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the organizers removed the film from the lineup at the last minute without giving any official reason.
