Centre Refers 'Satluj' to IT Rules Committee After Takedown

The Indian government has referred the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer film 'Satluj' to an Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, for a detailed examination, government sources said on Tuesday. This follows the takedown of the film from streaming platform ZEE5 on July 5, two days after its release, over 'security concerns'.

The film, originally titled 'Punjab 95', depicts the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994. Khalra was abducted in 1995 and never found. The film was stuck with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for over three years before being released uncut on ZEE5 under the new title 'Satluj' on July 3.

The Inter-Departmental Committee, which includes representatives from the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Home Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Women and Child Development, External Affairs, Defence, and Law and Justice, will examine the content and recommend a course of action. Possible measures include warnings, an apology, reclassification, modification, or blocking of content under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows the government to block online content on grounds of sovereignty, security, and public order.

OTT content falls under Part III of the IT Rules, 2021, and is not subject to CBFC certification. The rules prescribe a Code of Ethics requiring publishers to exercise caution with content affecting India's sovereignty, security, or public order. However, the Code of Ethics was stayed by the Bombay High Court in 2021, with the Madras High Court later extending the stay to the entire country. Despite this, the rules include an emergency provision (Rule 16) allowing an authorised officer to block content without delay if it meets the grounds under Section 69A(1).

Government sources said ZEE5 was directed to remove the film after it came to the government's notice that it had been released without the cuts proposed by the CBFC when the makers sought certification for theatrical release in 2022. 'They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title,' an official said.

The development highlights the regulatory challenges surrounding OTT content in India, where platforms must navigate between creative freedom and legal obligations. The IDC's recommendations will be crucial in determining the film's future.