A film that took three years to reach people has now become the centre of a fresh political and legal storm, barely 48 hours after its release. Diljit Dosanjhs delayed project originally titled Punjab 95 and now released as Satluj was pulled from ZEE5s Indian catalogue within two days of its streaming debut even as a lawyer filed a formal complaint demanding an FIR against its makers.
A Three-Year Battle With the Censor Board
Directed by Honey Trehan and produced by Ronnie Screwvalas RSVP along with MacGuffin Pictures the film draws on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Sikh human rights activist who investigated thousands of alleged killings and secret cremations carried out during Punjabs militancy years in the 1990s.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted in September 1995 by police personnel and later murdered; several police officers were subsequently convicted for his kidnapping and killing. The film was first submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in December 2022. It remained stuck in certification limbo for years. According to director Honey Trehan the board initially demanded many as 127 cuts a number he strongly resisted.
He was quoted saying that if that many cuts were applied only the trailer would effectively remain and that he would remove his name from the project than accept them.
Trehans Allegations Against CBFC
Trehan also alleged that several objections went beyond content concerns. He claimed CBFC officials objected to referring to Punjabi police officers wearing turbans as “Punjab Police” than simply “Police,” asked for Indira Gandhis name to be removed and pushed back on references to Jaswant Singh Khalras name visuals of the Indian flag, Gurbani and specific location details tied to the real story.
A planned premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023 was eventually. A subsequent attempt at an overseas release in 2025 also failed to materialise extending the films journey well beyond its original timeline.
From Punjab 95 to Satluj
After years of back-and-forth the film finally reached people on ZEE5. Not under its original name. The title was changed from Punjab 95 to Satluj, a reference to the river apparently to move away from the politically specific original title that directly referenced both the state and the year of Khalras disappearance. Diljit Dosanjh addressed the change directly during an Instagram Live session stating that the title had to be altered for reasons but clarifying that the film itself carried no cuts.
He said the version he watched in theatres two years earlier was identical to the one that streamed at home adding that he would not have promoted the film had even a single scene been cut. In an interview Dosanjh also spoke about the emotional toll of playing the role revealing that he needed a week off to process the experience after portraying Khalra given how deeply the characters story stayed with him.
Removed From India Within 48 Hours
Just as the controversy over the delayed release seemed to be settling, ZEE5 abruptly removed Satluj from its catalogue less than 48 hours after its debut. The platform cited current developments” as the reason for the removal without elaborating further though the film reportedly remains available internationally through ZEE5 Global.
The sudden removal has triggered political reactions in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh remarked that the ban had only heightened curiosity about the films subject matter. AAP MP Malwinder Singh Kang described the move as reflective of a discomfort with confronting Punjabs past while Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira pointed out that the story is based on facts that have already been acknowledged by the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the Development, Dosanjh reportedly noted that what happened to Satluj mirrors the struggles faced by the films central character drawing a parallel between the on-screen story and the real-world backlash the film itself has faced.
Legal Complaint Adds to the Controversy
Adding another layer to the row, advocate Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), demanding an FIR against the film’s makers and against ZEE5. Jindal has alleged that the film promotes terrorism, violent extremism and separatist ideology connected to Punjabs insurgency period and has sought action under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the UAPA and the IT Act.
A Familiar Pattern in Indian Film Censorship
Industry observers have pointed to a pattern in how politically sensitive films are treated in India noting that Satlujs slow cut-heavy certification process followed by a quiet low-promotion streaming release without a theatrical run mirrors the trajectory of several other contentious films in recent years. Notably the removal of Satluj from ZEE5 India has also drawn comparisons with politically charged titles that remain available on the same platform raising questions about consistency in how such content is handled.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the controversy, Satluj represents one of the more high-profile attempts by Hindi cinema to depict a real and deeply sensitive chapter of Punjab’s recent history. Whether the film eventually returns to ZEE5’s Indian library, and how the legal complaint against its makers unfolds, will likely determine how future filmmakers approach similarly sensitive political subjects — and how much creative latitude they can expect from both the certification process and streaming platforms.
