Overview
- The Diljit Dosanjh‑starrer Satluj was streamed on Zee5 on July 3 and taken down within 48 hours after authorities said the film lacked Central Board of Film Certification clearance.
- Government and platform statements said the makers bypassed the CBFC process by releasing the uncut film on an OTT service, a move that prompted regulatory removal for failing to meet certification rules.
- Director Honey Trehan said well‑wishers placed gullaks in gurdwaras at home and abroad to raise money but that Team Satluj will not accept donations and that any collections have no link to the filmmakers.
- Copies of the film were downloaded and shared illegally after the takedown, and community groups including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee have organized screenings and seminars to keep Khalra’s story visible.
- The case highlights two wider issues: how digital releases can clash with India’s certification regime and how a sensitive human‑rights subject — the 1990s extrajudicial cases involving Jaswant Singh Khalra — drives sustained community activism and scrutiny.