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Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj has sparked a heated public debate in recent weeks. Directed by Honey Trehan, the film, previously titled Punjab 95, was finally released on July 3 on streaming platform ZEE5 after spending four years caught in a censorship battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). However, within 48 hours of its release, the film was taken down from the platform following a directive from the Government of India.

Asked about Diljit Dosanjh’s earlier remarks on separating art from politics, the actor said artistes are usually aware that subjects like Satluj are likely to invite controversy. He maintained that if the CBFC refuses certification, the legal remedy is to approach the Supreme Court rather than seek public sympathy. “You acted in the film, and the rules clearly state that if the Censor Board does not grant it a certificate, you should go to the Supreme Court. Everyone knows that this is a controversial subject, and now you’re begging the public for sympathy. Why indulge in self-pity? Go to the Supreme Court. What’s the point of crying over it?”

Annu Kapoor further argued that if the CBFC withholds certification over concerns that a film could disturb national security or public order, those concerns should be taken seriously. Stressing that social harmony takes precedence over a film’s release, he said: “Is anarchy more important than releasing a film? Is that more important than roads in my country being burned, houses being set on fire, and mothers and sisters being burned alive? What is more important? As a member of the film industry, I’m saying that what matters more to me is that there is peace in my society.”

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Less than 48 hours after Satluj’s release, ZEE5 removed the film from its platform and issued a statement, which read, “In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity.” Following the take down, pirated versions of the film quickly surfaced online.

“They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government’s notice, Zee was asked to take it (the film) down. The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and OTT, they should follow the laid down norms.”

Before ZEE5 pulled the film from its platform, director Honey Trehan had thanked both the platform and producers for standing by the project while admitting that he still did not know who had opposed the film all these years. “If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don’t know. I don’t have a face. I don’t have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers,” he told Mid-Day.

Satluj revisits one of Punjab’s darkest periods, exploring the disappearances, alleged extrajudicial killings and illegal detentions linked to the state’s counter-insurgency operations against Khalistani militancy during the 1980s and 1990s. The film follows the life and work of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose investigations exposed the alleged illegal cremation of unidentified bodies before his own disappearance. Alongside Diljit Dosanjh, the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

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