Film on Punjab's Turbulent Past Sparks Political Debate After OTT Removal

The recently released film 'Satluj', previously titled 'Punjab '95', has ignited a political firestorm in Punjab after its removal from the OTT platform ZEE5 just two days after its premiere on July 3. The film chronicles the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated alleged extrajudicial cremations during the period of militancy in Punjab between the mid-1980s and early-1990s. No official blocking order has been made public, but reports indicate that a central government-appointed committee is reviewing the film under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

The film, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh, had faced years of delays due to a certification dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Following its removal from the India catalogue on ZEE5, the platform continues to stream it internationally through ZEE5 Global.

Political parties, youth outfits, and religious bodies have responded by organizing public screenings of the film across villages and towns in Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced it would screen the film in villages, with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal stating that the aim is to ensure that young people learn about the repression faced by Jaswant Singh Khalra and thousands of other Sikh youth. 'This film presents the agony of Punjab during that phase,' Badal said. 'Now, Punjabis, especially Sikhs, are being stopped from recalling and recording that era as history. The SAD will not remain a mute witness to this injustice.'

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, countered that the filmmakers cannot hide behind 'creative freedom' while presenting disputed claims as established history. He questioned the figure of 25,000 missing or illegally cremated bodies portrayed in the film, urging the producers to place complete documentary evidence, official records, judicial findings, and authenticated data before the people of Punjab.

The film is being screened using projectors in open grounds and courtyards of gurdwaras in many villages. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which oversees historical gurdwaras, is also showing the film. Additionally, the outfit Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh—a pro-Khalistan activist currently detained under the National Security Act in Dibrugarh jail—is prominently involved in these screenings.

Viewers have expressed strong emotional reactions. Randeep Dhillon, a 42-year-old resident of Dhilwan village in Barnala district, described the screening he attended as a 'soul-shaking experience.' 'It tore my heart apart after I witnessed what had happened to our people,' he said, adding that while the film focused on Sikh youth, Hindu families also suffered during those years. He called for the film to be available to all, so the new generation can understand the violations that occurred.