'Satluj' and Indian film censorship
What's the story
This Sunday evening, I was watching the Hindi-Punjabi release Satluj, earlier known as Punjab '95, on the OTT platform ZEE5. A gripping story about real torture and extortion carried on for years across Punjab, I was as engulfed as I was disturbed. So much so that I got to tweet about it mid-movie, but guess what I found.
#1
'Satluj' had been pulled down while I was watching
Satluj had already been pulled down. Not daring to pause the film, my family and I finished it in silence. The speed of the film hadn't been sped up, but I felt an urge to finish this gutting story. I had an adrenaline rush from legally watching a movie and felt lucky that I was one of the very few who could. But why?
#2
Why was it dumped on OTT? Why was it removed?
Why was a film starring big names like Diljit Dosanjh and Arjun Rampal (alongside the stellar Kanwaljeet Singh, Suvinder Vicky, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, and Varun Badola) stealthily removed from a platform within 48 hours of its release, and more importantly, why was it unceremoniously dumped on OTT in the first place?
#3
'Satluj': Story and premise
Satluj tells the story of a banker-turned-human rights activist, Jaswant Singh Khalra, who questioned the illegal and extrajudicial killings carried out by the Punjab Police in the 1980-90s. Many Sikh families reported their relatives missing after being detained on suspicion of militant links. Disturbed by such cases, Khalra began investigating.
#4
More on Khalra
From municipal records in Amritsar, Khalra found documents containing the names, ages, and addresses of thousands of people who were allegedly killed and cremated by the cops without their families' knowledge. This revelation attracted national and international attention. However, this fight stopped short when Khalra was abducted from his home, allegedly by police officials, on September 6, 1995. He was never seen alive again.
#5
Film is based on facts
This is a film that shows a man's right to question his government, deals with the dark ages after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and questions the abuse of power. And, it's all based on facts. A court ruling convicted six Punjab Police officials on the charge of abducting and killing Khalra. So, should a film on such a man's life not be made?
#6
CBFC doesn't have jurisdiction over OTT content
Now that we have established why such a movie could and-solely from the point of view of the abundance of material-should have been made, let's look at who could control what the film can convey. Because if you didn't know, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has no power over OTT content.
Information
Who regulates OTT content?
In December 2025, the government clarified that OTT content would remain outside CBFC's jurisdiction. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) stated that self-regulation by the publishers, or by the publishers' self-regulating bodies, or the oversight mechanism by the Central Government would exercise regulation.
#7
'Satluj' 4-year-long struggle with the CBFC
Coming back to Satluj's case, the Honey Trehan directorial has been fighting for certification since 2022. The team had to tackle the mandate of 127 cuts, international film festival premieres were canceled, and its title went through at least three changes (its original name was Ghallughara, meaning massacre or genocide). Still, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
#8
Abrupt OTT premiere
Then, on July 3, out of the blue, the nearly three-hour film, in its uncut version, started streaming on ZEE5. And cinephiles became the film's biggest promotional drive. Social media was getting flooded with positive reviews, people from Punjab were retelling their recollection of those times, and Trehan and Dosanjh were celebrating their much-delayed yet sweet victory online. But the joy was short-lived.
#9
Pulled from the platform within 2 days
Within two days, the film was pulled down by ZEE5 itself, citing a vague "in light of the current developments" in its public statement. No reason or cause was given. Producer Ronnie Screwvala confirmed to SCREEN that the government had intervened to pull it down. So, again, the question arises: Why?
#10
Was maintaining 'public order' the goal?
Many have argued that a film on such a sensitive political issue could have led to unrest, and that's why the government wanted to maintain "public order" by pulling Satluj down. But if that were the case, the MIB could just say that directly. It could have given a public statement in response to the online outcry, confirming or denying its role.
#11
But did the move backfire?
No matter what the intent, the move seems to have backfired as more people are searching for Satluj than ever before. Within hours of it getting removed, pirated copies of the movie spread across WhatsApp channels, X/Twitter, and Reddit. Sometimes, trying to make a film disappear only makes everyone want to watch it even more.