Less than 48 hours after it quietly premiered on ZEE5 in India, Diljit Dosanjh‘s Satluj was pulled from the platform. No official reason was initially given. For a film that spent over three years navigating censorship battles, multiple title changes, and prolonged release delays before finally reaching audiences, its removal marks yet another unexpected chapter in its journey. The film remains available on ZEE5 Global for viewers outside India.
Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist from Punjab who spent years investigating alleged illegal cremations carried out during Punjab’s militancy period in the 1980s and 1990s. His research uncovered evidence of thousands of unidentified bodies and alleged fake encounters, drawing international attention to the issue. On September 6, 1995, Khalra was allegedly abducted outside his home in Amritsar, reportedly tortured, and killed, with reports stating that his body was thrown into the Harike canal. Several Punjab Police officers were later convicted in the case, and their life sentences were upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The journey of Satluj to any screen is a story in itself. The film was originally titled Ghallughara, a word that refers to the historic massacres of Sikhs. When production house RSVP submitted the film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in late 2022, the certification process stretched to nearly six months and, according to the filmmakers, concluded with a demand for 21 cuts and a mandatory title change. The film was subsequently renamed Punjab ’95, after which RSVP challenged the CBFC’s decision in the Bombay High Court.
Around the same time, the film was withdrawn from its planned gala premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, just a day before its scheduled screening. At the time, Variety reported that a source attributed the decision to political factors.
In early 2025, when the makers announced a release date, the CBFC reportedly returned with a demand for 127 cuts, according to the filmmakers. Director Honey Trehan and the entire team refused to make any of the requested changes, leaving the film in limbo once again.
Finally, on July 3, 2026, the film quietly appeared on ZEE5 without any prior announcement under its third title, Satluj, named after the river that flows through Punjab. Director Honey Trehan later confirmed that the version released on the platform was completely uncut, with every scene and dialogue the team had fought to preserve. Only the title had changed.
On the night the film went live, Diljit Dosanjh went on Instagram Live and urged fans to download it immediately.
“Today is Saturday. I feel it could be taken down by Monday. But no worries, you download it.”
He also expressed surprise that the film had made it onto the platform at all. His prediction proved accurate when the film disappeared less than 48 hours later.
ZEE5 confirmed the removal through an Instagram statement on July 5. The platform thanked viewers for their response, said it stood firmly behind the film, and stated that Satluj would be unavailable in India “until further notice” due to “current developments.” However, the platform did not elaborate on what those developments were. ZEE5 added that it would explore every appropriate avenue to bring the film back to Indian audiences.
Following the removal, Diljit shared a clip from the film with a message drawing a direct parallel to Jaswant Singh Khalra’s own fate:
“Satluj naal v oh hee hoyea jo Khalra saab naal hoyea,”
meaning, “The same thing has happened to Satluj that happened to Khalra Sahib.”
Director Honey Trehan reiterated that the version streamed on ZEE5 was completely uncut—every scene and every dialogue the team had fought to protect remained intact. Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, also watched the released version and confirmed that it was the same film she had previously seen.
Producer Ronnie Screwvala reflected on the casting, saying that from the very beginning there was no one other than Diljit Dosanjh who could have brought the character of Jaswant Singh Khalra to life with the honesty it deserved.
For now, Indian audiences cannot watch Satluj on ZEE5 India, while the film continues to stream internationally on ZEE5 Global. Whether it returns to the platform in India remains uncertain. A film that took more than three years, three different titles, and a prolonged censorship battle to finally reach audiences remained available in India for less than 48 hours.
- Spotlight: Making Injustice Heard in a World of Untouchable Power
- Harry Potter and the Question Every Reboot Must Answer
- Good Films Are Often Bad Experiences
- Top 10 Sequels That Elevated Cinema: When Hollywood Got Better the Second Time
- How much does responsibility seep into filmmaking? Or does it at all?