Political leaders across party lines and Sikh organisations in Punjab on Monday criticised the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj from ZEE5 India. They said the film highlights one of Punjab's most painful chapters and argued that history should be faced honestly rather than silenced through censorship.
Slamming the decision to remove the movie from the OTT platform, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal described the decision as more than just censorship. He said it was an attack on collective memory, truth and freedom of expression.
Originally titled Punjab 95, the film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. It began streaming on ZEE5 in India on Friday but was taken down from the platform two days later.
Senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also condemned the move. He added that "I strongly condemn the removal of Satluj film enacted by Diljit Dosanjh about police brutality in abducting and eliminating Prof Jaswant Singh Khalra, Human Rights activist in 1995."
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang said a nation should not fear its own history. According to him, censorship becomes dangerous when it prevents people from confronting difficult chapters of the past.
SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan said people have a right to know what happened in Punjab during that period. He said there was nothing wrong with presenting historical events through cinema and urged the government to allow people to watch the film.
In a post on X, Badal said he was shocked by the “arbitrary removal of Satluj from ZEE5 India”. He said Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty instead of suppressing it.
Calling the film an important tribute to Jaswant Singh Khalra, Badal said stories about Punjab's difficult past should not be silenced. He also pointed out that the film had already remained stuck in the certification process for more than three years.
Although the Honey Trehan-directed film was eventually released without cuts, it was withdrawn from the platform on Sunday evening after ZEE5 announced that it would no longer be available in India until further notice.
On his social media handle, 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 Supreme Court of India that upheld the conviction of guilty police officers responsible for the abduction of Prof Khalra".
"I'm saddened that the same #PoliceState is still operating unabashedly in Punjab under the @BhagwantMann govt," Khaira said. He urged the government to release the film so that present and future generations understand that period of Punjab's history.
AAP leader Kang questioned why films on some sensitive issues continue to be screened while Satluj was removed. He said the film raises important questions about alleged human rights violations in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s.
He urged the government to restore the film without delay, saying history should be confronted honestly rather than hidden through silence or censorship.
Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi also criticised the decision. He described the removal as unfortunate and said it raises concerns about freedom of expression.
Gandhi said the film attempts to introduce younger generations to a turbulent phase in Punjab's history while encouraging discussion on human rights and governance. He added that restricting such films sends the wrong message.
ZEE5 announced on Sunday that Satluj would remain unavailable in India until further notice. The platform said it is exploring all appropriate legal and procedural options to bring the film back for Indian viewers at the earliest.
The film stars Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994 before disappearing in 1995.
In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted in the abduction and murder case and sentenced to seven years in prison. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later enhanced their punishment to life imprisonment.
The film has faced several hurdles over the years. It was scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 but was dropped from the line-up. The makers had also claimed that the CBFC sought 127 cuts, delaying its release for several years. Originally planned for a global release as Punjab 95, the film was eventually released in India under the title Satluj before being taken down days later.
Also read: I knew this would happen: Diljit Dosanjh on ‘Satluj’ ban
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