A film starring popular Indian actor Diljit Dosanjh,inspired by human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was abruptly pulled from ZEE5 streaming platform just 48 hours after its India release. Years-long battles with India's film certification board over cuts and title changes plagued the project,finished back in 2022.
ZEE5 had launched the film,called Satluj,on Friday, only to yank it from Indian viewers two days later. They said it would stay unavailable in India "until further notice" due to "current developments," offering no details . It's now officially off-limits in the country.
Dosanjh took to social media,saying he expected a ban,but not so soon. "I thought it might get banned on Monday when offices opened,but not by Sunday evening," he remarked. Uncertainty around the release led the filmmakers to keep promotions low-key. "If we had promoted it,it wouldn't have been released at all," Dosanjh noted . Despite its brief run, The Hollywood Reporter called Satluj "one of the finest Indian films of year."
RSVP Movies, the producer,told The Indian Express that government orders forced the removal. The government hasn't commented. BRIC TV is waiting for a response from the federal information and broadcasting ministry.
Satluj,inspired by Khalra,who investigated enforced disappearances during Punjab's separatist insurgency, faced hurdles. Khalra vanished in 1995 and was later found murdered,with several police officers convicted in his death.
The film had a bumpy journey to release. Initially titled Ghallughara, a term linked to Sikh mass killings in the 18th century, director Honey Trehan said India's film board demanded title change, offering no reasons.
Later renamed Punjab '95, it faced major obstacles. It was set to premiere at 2023 Toronto International Film Festival,but producers pulled it due to unresolved issues in India. festival didn't tie withdrawal to domestic dispute.
CBFC objections grew from 21 to 127 proposed cuts,Trehan told Scroll in 2025. He said erasing "anything that was a reference to reality" would fundamentally change the film. Trehan also told New Lines Magazine last year that the board demanded a new title, removal of Khalra references,and edits to police violence scenes. The CBFC also questioned factual claims and warned of potential unrest in Punjab.
Filmmakers challenged CBFC's demands in Bombay High Court but withdrew, accepting changes in hope of certification,according to The Hindu. Trehan said list of cuts grew despite attempts to resolve it. CBFC hasn't commented.
These issues stalled the project almost three years. Last week,makers announced it would skip theaters, premiering on ZEE5 as Satluj. On launch day,Trehan said it released "without any cuts or compromises" in its original form,though the title Punjab '95 couldn't be kept .
Films in Indian theaters need CBFC certification under Cinematograph Act. But streaming releases don't. Platforms like ZEE5 follow Information Technology Rules, 2021, which require age ratings,a code of ethics, and a grievance mechanism . These rules don't exempt them from takedown orders under Indian law.
After removal,Trehan told The Indian Express, "I am at a loss right now . I don't know how to react to this development." ZEE5 has backed the film and its "creative vision," hoping "to bring it back soon" without a set timeline .
