The abrupt removal of a film starring popular Indian singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh from a streaming platform has triggered a row. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Satluj is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Punjab's separatist insurgency. Khalra disappeared in 1995 and was later found to have been abducted and murdered. Several Punjab police officers were eventually convicted for their role in the killing.
Completed in 2022, the film never made it to cinemas because of a prolonged dispute with India's film certification board. It was released on the ZEE5 platform on Friday but removed two days later. ZEE5 said in a statement the film would be unavailable in India "until further notice" because of "current developments" but did not explain what they were.
Despite its brief availability, Satluj received strong reviews. The Hollywood Reporter described it as "one of the finest Indian films of the year". The Indian Express quoted a spokesperson for RSVP Movies, the film's producer, as saying it was removed on government orders. The government has not publicly commented on the decision. The BBC has contacted the federal information and broadcasting ministry for a response.
Dosanjh addressed the removal in a live social media video, saying he had expected the film to be taken down but not so quickly. "My love and respect to all of you. What I had already expected is exactly what happened. I thought the film might get banned when [government] offices opened on Monday, but I didn't know it would happen as early as Sunday evening." He said the uncertainty surrounding the film's release was why its makers had kept promotions to a minimum. "If we had promoted it, the film would definitely not have been released at all," he said.
Director Honey Trehan told the news website Scroll in 2025 that the board's objections initially numbered 21 but eventually grew to 127 proposed cuts. "Anything that was a reference to reality was to be removed," he said. The CBFC sought changes including a new title, the removal of references to Khalra and edits to scenes depicting police violence. The film was originally titled Ghallughara but later retitled Punjab '95.