Overview
- Zee5 quietly released Satluj late Friday and removed the film from its India service within about 48 hours, saying only that it would not be shown because of “present circumstances.”
- Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, is inspired by human‑rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and dramatizes allegations of illegal killings and secret cremations in 1990s Punjab.
- The film had been held with the Central Board of Film Certification for roughly three years after the board reportedly sought about 125–127 cuts and the makers refused those changes, delaying any theatrical run.
- Co‑writer Niren Bhatt and public figures such as Gul Panag and Jasbir Jassi criticized Zee5’s vague explanation, while the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee urged community screenings and seminars to keep the story accessible.
- Reporters say neither Zee5 nor the CBFC has publicly specified what content, if any, triggered the removal, a lack of detail that critics say fuels selective enforcement claims and could deter filmmakers from tackling sensitive histories.