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Chandigarh, July 6
Political parties and Sikh organizations in Punjab on Monday criticized the removal of actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh’s film Satluj from streaming platform ZEE5, calling it an attack on freedom of expression and urging the government to restore the film. The movie, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was taken down from the platform just two days after its release in India.
The film, originally titled Punjab ’95, premiered on ZEE5 on Friday. It became unavailable in India on Sunday after the streaming platform announced it would be withdrawn until further notice. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the decision, describing it as more than an act of censorship. He said the removal amounted to an assault on collective memory, truth and freedom of expression. In a post on X, Badal said that Punjab deserved to confront its past with honesty rather than suppression. He added that a film portraying the state’s painful history and honoring the sacrifice of Jaswant Singh Khalra should not be silenced.
Senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also criticized the move, saying the film highlighted the alleged police excesses linked to the disappearance of Khalra in 1995. Referring to court rulings in the case, Khaira said the story was based on facts that had already been upheld by the judiciary. He urged the government to allow the film’s release so that present and future generations could understand that chapter of Punjab’s history. Aam Aadmi Party MP Malvinder Singh Kang questioned the decision, saying censorship becomes dangerous when a country begins to fear its own history.
In a post on X, Kang alleged that while films such as The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story were released without obstruction, a film dealing with alleged human rights violations in Punjab had been removed without any clear explanation. He called for the immediate restoration of Satluj, saying that history should be faced honestly rather than buried in silence and censorship. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan also opposed the removal, saying people have the right to know what happened during that period in Punjab. He said there was nothing wrong with presenting historical events and allowing the public to understand the realities of those years.
Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi described the removal as unfortunate and said it raised concerns about freedom of expression. He said the film sought to introduce younger generations to Punjab’s turbulent past while raising important questions about human rights and governance.
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj features Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, the human rights activist who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994 before disappearing in 1995. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for his abduction and murder, and their sentences were later enhanced to life imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The film remained entangled in censorship for more than three years. It was also removed from the Toronto International Film Festival lineup in 2023 without any official explanation. Reports had stated that the Central Board of Film Certification sought 127 cuts, delaying its release. An earlier global release planned under the title Punjab ’95 also did not materialize.
On Sunday, ZEE5 announced that Satluj had been made unavailable in India until further notice, stating that it was exploring appropriate legal and procedural options to restore the film for Indian audiences. The platform has not indicated when Satluj will return.
