The Centre directed OTT platform ZEE5 to take down the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer film ‘Satluj’ citing “security concerns” and “obligations” under IT Rules 2021, government sources said on Monday, even as political parties in Punjab and the apex Sikh body SGPC pushed for its release, and the actor-singer asked people to watch it wherever and however they can.

‘Satluj’ removed citing IT Rules 2021

‘Satluj’, which details the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab in the turbulent 1990s when the state was reeling under terrorism, was stuck with the censors for more than three years. Released uncut on ZEE5 on Friday, the film was removed from the platform on Sunday evening.OTT content does not come under the purview of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and is regulated under the provisions of Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

‘Sutlej’ removed over ‘security concerns’

A government official said that the makers of ‘Sutlej’ had applied for CBFC certification in 2022 under its original title ‘Punjab 95’, but they did not accept the 127 cuts suggested by the censor board and withheld its release.“They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government’s notice, Zee was asked to take it (the film) down.“The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and OTT, they should follow the laid down norms,” the official told PTI.

Diljit Dosanjh encourages fans to download film

Dosanjh on Monday said this was bound to happen, while ZEE5 issued an appeal asking people not to support piracy as the film had already been downloaded by many.The Honey Trehan directed film delves into the life of Khalra who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994. He was abducted in 1995 and was never seen after that. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for Khalra’s 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.On Friday, the movie quietly arrived on ZEE5 without any cuts but with a different title and zero promotions, which Dosanjh said was because they didn’t want to spoil whatever little chance the film had.

Political parties rally behind ‘Satluj’

The matter quickly gained political traction with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemning the dropping of the film from the OTT platform, and saying the state must confront its pastPeople should know what happened during those days in Punjab, Kulwant Singh Manan, chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said.“What is wrong if reality is shown, and the public comes to know what happened during those days in Punjab,” Manan told PTI over phone.Condemning the “arbitrary removal” of the film, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Efforts to hide the government atrocities committed against Sikhs can never be successful.“Today the honourable courts are giving punishments to the police officers of that time. How can anyone turn their back on these decisions of the courts?” Dhami asked.Criticising the removal of the film, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “This is not mere censorship, it is an assault on our collective memory, truth and freedom of expression… Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not suppression.”Senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira echoed him.“I strongly condemn the removal of the film ‘Satluj’ enacted by Diljit Dosanjh about police brutality in abducting and eliminating Prof Jaswant Singh Khalra, human rights activist in 1995,” he said.AAP leader and MP Malvinder Singh Kang said censorship becomes its most dangerous weapon when a nation begins to fear its own history.AAP’s Baltej Pannu said, “The younger generation wants to know what happened in Punjab during 1978, 1984, the 1990s and other crucial periods. If they are denied books and documentaries, films become an important way of preserving historical truth.”Asked to comment on the film’s OTT removal, Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said, “I am finding out the reason. We are taking up the matter.”In an expansive session on Instagram Live from the US where he is on tour, Dosanjh expressed his anguish.“I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. This was already on my mind. It is not something to be shocked about (the ban). I thought that it would be banned on Monday when the offices open…“But I did not have an idea that it would happen on Sunday evening itself. We did not even promote the film, we released it just like that. If we had promoted it, it would not have lasted even two days. But I am satisfied that people have seen the film, it has reached them,” Dosanjh said in Punjabi.“It was very important that it should reach you and that has happened… I am thankful that what we wanted to say and the way we wanted to say, it has been conveyed. It is your film and you can watch it the way you want,” he said.“This was the only way to release the film… without saying anything because this was bound to happen,” Dosanjh said, adding that the more one tries to stop the film, the more popular it will become as nothing disappears from the internet, not even a voice note sent on Whatsapp.

ZEE5 had a slightly different take.

“We are doing our bit to bring ‘Satluj’ back. Please do yours – don’t support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring ‘Satluj’ back to you,” it said in an Instagram post.On Sunday night, it said, “In light of the current developments, ‘Satluj’ will be unavailable in India until further notice…”The streamer did not specify what it meant by “current developments”, but said the response to the film had been overwhelming and they fully backed the creative conviction behind the movie.

‘Satluj’ releases after delays

In 2023, the movie was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was removed from the line-up without any official statement from the organisers.‘Punjab ’95’ was slated for worldwide release on February 7, 2025, without any cuts, except in India. But that release also did not happen. The matter also found echo on social media.Tagging former CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi in a post, comedian Kunal Kamra said Khalra had been abducted again, “this time by CBFC”.“And once again the industry at large is silent about what should alarm us all and it affects us all. How can we surrender our right to tell stories… especially such powerful sensitive stories,” filmmaker Onir posted.Director Anurag Basu said on X that he never imagined that Trehan would face something similar to what Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi faced in his country.