‘Satluj’ film taken down from Zee5 streaming platform days after its release

The film Satluj, based on extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances by the Punjab police in the 1990s, has disappeared from the streaming platform Zee5. Honey Trehan’s film, previously titled Punjab ’95 and led by Diljit Dosanjh, was released on Zee5 on Friday evening. By late Sunday evening, the movie had vanished from the platform.

In a statement on its social media handles, Zee5 said that “in light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice”. It did not elaborate on the nature of these developments.

The platform added, “We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audience at the earliest available opportunity.”

Trehan was unavailable for comment.

Punjab ‘95 faced tremendous censorship after it was completed in 2022. Over several months, the censor board demanded 127 cuts, effectively scuttling the release, Trehan told Scroll in an interview last year.

The version that was briefly available on Zee5 was uncut.

The film is based on human rights activist Jaswinder Singh Khalra’s efforts to expose the culture of brutality and impunity that prevailed in Punjab under the garb of fighting the Khalistani movement.

Khalra was abducted in September 1995, never to be seen again. A Central Bureau of Investigation team found that a Punjab police unit had held Khalra without charges, murdered him in October 1995 and dumped his body. A handful of police officers was eventually convicted for the murders.

In the film, Diljit Dosanjh’s character Jaswant investigates a death squad that has the protection of Bitta, the state police chief.

Punjab ’95 ran into problems soon after being submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification. The cuts included “anything that was a reference to reality was to be removed, from Jaswant Singh’s name to the place Tarn Taran” where Khalra first started his investigations, director Trehan had told Scroll.

Trehan added, “We could not show the cops as belonging to the Punjab police. Any mention of the actual numbers of killings, such as the 2,097 unaccounted deaths investigated by Khalra, had to go… Also the phrases ‘extra-judicial killings’ and ‘human rights’.”

The Indian censor board does not certify movies that are released directly on streaming services. Streaming platforms are expected to follow a code of self-censorship, making them liable if any title is deemed controversial. What makes Satluj different is that it was screened on Zee5 despite not being officially cleared by the censors.

Jaswant Singh Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, issued a statement on X after the release of Satluj on Zee5 in which she said that she was “pleased and relieved” that the movie had finally seen light of day after “years of political obstacles and numerous challenges”.

Khalra added: “As the Khalra family, we wish to clarify that we have approved the version of the film that is now being released on OTT. This is the same original version that was first screened for our family. We are reassured that, despite immense pressure and repeated attempts to make changes, the film's original spirit and truth have been preserved.”