The movie was taken down just two days after its release on ZEE5.
Diljit Dosanjh-starrer 'Satluj', based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been taken down from streaming platform ZEE5 just two days after its release.
According to an ANI report, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) officials said it happened because the film's makers released it ‘without the required certification process being completed’.
Originally titled 'Punjab 95', the film is based on the disappearance of Punjab human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Dosanjh plays the central character in the film, which depicts extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances by the Punjab Police in the 1990s.
The ANI report said that the Ministry of I&B stated that the film was released on an OTT platform without due process being followed. An official from the Ministry told ANI, “Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film's title and released it on an OTT platform on Friday.”
The official further alleged that the release violated the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, but no specific provision was identified.
Zee5 said the film would no longer be available to viewers in India, citing the “current developments” around its release. In its statement, the platform said the film’s streaming had been put on hold and maintained that it continued to support both the project and its makers, though it did not explain the reason behind the decision.
'Satluj' was earlier submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022, when the board demanded 27 cuts and a title change. The makers moved court, following which a revision committee demanded 120 cuts. Eventually, after four years of legal wrangling, the film was released on Zee5 this weekend as 'Satluj', uncut.
