The Indian streaming platform ZEE5 has triggered a major free speech controversy in India after pulling the Diljit Dosanjh-led film “Satluj”, previously titled “Punjab 95”, just 48 hours after its digital premiere.
On the social media platform X, Diljit Dosanjh defiantly rejected the digital ban, posting: “Hun Ni Rukni Film. Khalra Saab Di Avaaz Nu Koi Ni Dabaa Sakda [Now the film cannot be stopped. No one can suppress the voice of Khalra Saab].”
The actor had previously indicated during a live stream with fans that he anticipated a sudden removal of the film, explicitly urging viewers to download the movie before it disappeared from service.
ZEE5 addressed the removal on its official X handle, stating, “Sutlej has been stopped but the discussion that started with it continues. We hope to bring it back to you soon.” However, the streaming network offered no concrete explanation regarding why the project was pulled.
The biographical drama, which explores the life of renowned Punjabi human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra, premiered on July 3 but was taken down just two days later.
Directed by Honey Trehan and produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP (Ronnie Screwvala Productions) alongside MacGuffin Pictures, the narrative charts Khalra’s real-life investigation into state-sponsored human rights abuses in Indian Punjab.
His work uncovered the enforced disappearances and mass illegal cremations of roughly 25,000 unidentified bodies during the era of unrest in Indian Punjab, leading to his own abduction and murder while in police custody in 1995.
The production has endured a turbulent three-year battle against censorship, originally being titled “Ghallughara” before changing to “Punjab 95”. The Central Board of Film Certification initially demanded a staggering 127 cuts alongside a name change, before a deal was struck to stream it uncut under the title “Satluj”.
The sudden disappearance of the film has sparked intense online debate, drawing sharp comparisons to other movies like The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story.
Prominent journalist Rana Ayyub also condemned the decision on X, stating: “Cowards strike again. Within 24 hours, Satluj/ Punjab 95 has been taken down from ZEE5. This is the state of free expression in India. Films that spread hate/ propaganda are made tax free while films that expose the reality are banned. Welcome to the world’s largest democracy.”
