After facing a lengthy struggle to secure censor clearance, Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj was removed from ZEE5 in India just two days after it (uncut) premiered on the streaming platform. The film was released on the platform on Friday but was removed on July 5, just two days later. Hours before it was taken down, director Honey Trehan spoke to a media portal about the film’s release.
Honey told Mid-Day, “Even till yesterday afternoon, I wasn’t sure if the film would come out.” He added, “We’ve reached this point so many times before that I had stopped allowing myself to believe it. I kept telling myself, ‘Let it go, let it go.’ Then suddenly, it was just there.”
He said the film’s release is not only a milestone for its makers but also for the family of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose story inspired the project.
“I spoke to them immediately. They are very, very happy. It was important because we didn’t get the title Punjab 95. Naturally, people assumed the film must have been released with cuts. Paramjit aunty herself clarified that this is the same film. Hundreds of people who had watched the earlier version are now saying Satluj is exactly the same film,” said Honey.
For Trehan, the response to the film has been deeply reassuring. He said he has been receiving messages from IPS officers in Punjab eager to watch the film in its uncut form. “I’m getting messages from IPS officers in Punjab asking, ‘The film is without cuts, right?’ They are excited to finally watch it. That means a lot.”
The director said he had initially feared that the film’s long delay would raise expectations to an unrealistic level. However, he believes the extended wait ultimately increased public interest in the project.
“I actually felt the opposite happened. These three years became three years of publicity. Punjab 95 had become much bigger than the film itself. My only anxiety before release was whether I could live up to what people had built in their minds. But the response has been overwhelming. Every reaction has become memorable.”
Trehan also credited producer Ronnie Screwvala, actor Diljit Dosanjh, and ZEE5 for standing by the film throughout its prolonged release struggle. According to him, the team remained committed to the project despite the challenges it faced. “The way Ronnie, sir, and Diljit stood by me and stood by the film… I can’t thank them enough. And what courage ZEE has shown. Hats off to them. They simply dropped the trailer, posters, and the film together. There was no release date, no countdown, nothing. It was just – streaming now. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Speaking about Dosanjh’s involvement, Trehan said the actor supported the film from the very beginning. He recalled that when he first discussed making a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, Dosanjh immediately recognised the significance of the story.
“Even before I told him I wanted to make a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, he immediately said, ‘There’s only one story from Punjab worth making if it isn’t about 1984.’ I showed him my research book. He looked at Mr Khalra’s photograph, picked up the book, placed it on his forehead, and simply said, ‘Waheguru ji… tell me when and where to come. You’ll find me there.'”
Trehan said Dosanjh’s commitment remained unchanged throughout production. Even on difficult shooting days marked by delays and scheduling issues, the actor remained patient and focused on supporting the project. “There were days when he reported at six in the morning and I couldn’t take his first shot until four in the evening because schedules had gone haywire. I kept apologising. Every single time he would tell me, ‘Paaji, no problem. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing for the film. I’m here to support the film.'”
Addressing the controversy surrounding the film, Trehan said he still does not know who specifically objected to Satluj. “If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don’t know. I don’t have a face. I don’t have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers.”
He further revealed that communication with the censor board eventually came to a halt, leaving the filmmakers with limited options. “There came a point when there was simply no communication anymore. After everything we’d gone through, there was nothing left to discuss. That’s when ZEE stepped in and made this release possible.”
Despite the setbacks, Trehan said he does not harbour resentment over the experience. While acknowledging the emotional toll of not receiving clear answers, he said he understands that larger responsibilities may have influenced the situation.
“I’ve never been bitter. Sometimes you feel hurt emotionally because you’re not getting answers. But I also remind myself that I’m talking about one film. The people running the country have much bigger responsibilities. Sometimes there must have been helplessness. I respect the people and the positions they hold.”
The director pointed to the positive feedback the film received from various organisations and groups that viewed it before release. “The SGPC watched the film. The Akal Takht committee watched the film. Everywhere I went, the response was overwhelming. Today the film is available across 196 countries on ZEE5 and all I’m receiving is love. So where exactly was the problem?”
Trehan also stressed that Satluj was never intended to make a political statement. He said the film focuses on issues of human rights rather than political debates. “We’re only talking about human rights. We’re not commenting on the politics of that period. We’re talking about what happens when extraordinary powers are placed in the hands of a few people. That’s a human issue, not a political one.”
Satluj Row
Satluj is based on one of Punjab’s darkest periods in the 1990s, when many civilians allegedly went missing and were cremated without their families being informed.
Originally titled Punjab 95, the film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but had not received a clearance certificate. The filmmakers had earlier claimed that the CBFC sought 127 cuts. The film was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the screening was cancelled after Indian authorities reportedly raised objections.
The film was released on ZEE5 on Friday (July 3) without any promotional campaign. However, it was unexpectedly removed from the platform without prior notice.
In a statement, ZEE5 said it continues to support the film. However, without specifying the reason for its removal, the streamer stated that “in light of current developments” the film is currently unavailable for streaming.
Also Read: Beyond Satluj: How Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha Revisited 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots
