New Delhi: The controversy surrounding ‘Satluj’ (originally titled Punjab ’95), the biographical drama starring Diljit Dosanjh, has intensified. Following its recent removal from Zee5 India, the film has now been pulled from the platform’s global catalog as well. The director of the film, Honey Trehan, has reportedly confirmed the global removal.
The movie was released on the OTT platform Zee5 without any prior promotion or marketing campaigns. However, just a week ago, it abruptly vanished from the Indian catalog, with Zee5 stating that the film would remain unavailable in India “until further notice.” The situation worsened on Friday evening when the international version was also completely taken down.
The film chronicles the life of prominent human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged unlawful killings and mass cremations by security forces during the militancy era in Punjab. Since its inception, the project has faced severe bureaucratic and censorship hurdles. When submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022, the makers alleged that they were asked to make as many as 127 cuts to clear the film. Furthermore, its scheduled premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was also abruptly cancelled.
During its brief stint on Zee5, ‘Satluj’ garnered significant viewership and critical appreciation. The sudden global blackout of the film has once again ignited a fierce debate online regarding artistic freedom and censorship in digital spaces.
