CHANDIGARH: Slamming the BJP-led Union government over the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj from an OTT platform, political leaders across party lines and Sikh bodies in Punjab said the movie compels India to confront one of the state's "darkest chapters" and that history must be faced with honesty, not buried through censorship.
Meanwhile, the full film is allegedly being circulated in several WhatsApp groups, according to reports from online users.
Originally titled Punjab 95 and based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Honey Trehan-directed film was released in India on streaming platform ZEE5 on Friday. However, it became unavailable on the platform just two days later despite being released without any cuts.
On Sunday evening, ZEE5 said in a statement: "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."
In the film, Dosanjh portrays Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab over a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994 before disappearing in 1995. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for his abduction and murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced their sentence to life imprisonment.
The film has faced repeated hurdles. In 2023, it was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was removed from the line-up without any official explanation from the organisers.
The social drama also ran into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which reportedly sought an unprecedented 127 cuts. The delay in obtaining certification forced the makers to postpone its release. Under its original title Punjab 95, the film was slated for a worldwide release on February 7, 2025, without any cuts except in India, but that release also did not take place.
Criticising the removal of the film from ZEE5, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said he was "shocked and saddened" by the "arbitrary removal of Satluj from ZEE5 in India".
"This is not mere censorship, it is an assault on our collective memory, truth and freedom of expression. I strongly condemn this move. Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not suppression. A powerful film that courageously unveils Punjab's painful history and honours the supreme sacrifice of S. Jaswant Singh Ji Khalra cannot be silenced this way," he said in a post on X.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira also condemned the move, saying, "I strongly condemn the removal of Satluj, enacted by Diljit Dosanjh, about police brutality in abducting and eliminating Prof Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist, in 1995."
In another post on X, Khaira said, "We all know about the gross human rights violations prevalent then in Punjab and the subsequent mysterious disappearance of Prof Jaswant Singh Khalra. The removal of this fact-based film is in contradiction to the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India that upheld the conviction of guilty police officers responsible for the abduction of Prof Khalra."
"This film is based on true facts that were upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India while convicting guilty police officers. I'm saddened that the same #PoliceState is still operating unabashedly in Punjab under the @BhagwantMann government," he added.
Khaira urged the Union government "to release the film so that present and future generations know what a #PoliceState is, which unfortunately still rules the roost in Punjab."
Congress MP from Patiala Dharamvira Gandhi described the removal of the film as "unfortunate" and an attack on freedom of expression.
"The film sought to acquaint younger generations with the turbulent period Punjab witnessed during the 1990s and raised important questions related to human rights and governance. It is deeply unfortunate that a film attempting to portray the realities of Punjab during that era has been removed. After concerns over media freedom, it now appears that even the film industry is facing restrictions," he said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Anandpur Sahib Malvinder Singh Kang said that when a nation begins to fear its own history, censorship becomes its most dangerous weapon.
In a post on X, Kang said, "Propaganda-driven films such as The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story were promoted and screened without obstruction. Yet when a film raises uncomfortable questions about the human rights violations and atrocities in Punjab, it disappears from an OTT platform. Why? Who is afraid of Punjab's truth?"
"I unequivocally condemn the unexplained removal of Satluj from ZEE5 India. A film that compels India to confront one of Punjab's darkest chapters and portrays the alleged human rights violations of the 1980s-90s, brought to light through the courageous struggle of S. Jaswant Singh Khalra, has suddenly been made unavailable without any transparent explanation," he said.
Kang further alleged that by blocking Satluj, the BJP had exposed its "deep discomfort with Punjab's truth" and urged the Union government to ensure the film was reinstated without delay.
"History must be confronted with honesty, not buried through silence and censorship," he added.
Kulwant Singh Manan, chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said people should know what happened during that period in Punjab.
"The film should not have been removed from the platform. The government should ensure that people see this film. What is wrong if reality is shown and the public comes to know what happened during those days in Punjab?" he said.
Meanwhile, a high-quality digital copy of the film, reportedly around 589 MB in size with a runtime of 2 hours, 43 minutes and 59 seconds, is allegedly being shared through WhatsApp groups. However, authorities have not issued any official statement on the alleged circulation of the movie.
Experts have warned that sharing or downloading banned or pirated content may violate the law and invite legal action. They have also advised people not to engage with such content and to report suspicious sharing activity on messaging platforms.