India, July 8 -- Every once in a while, a film comes along that deserves to be judged not merely by its cinematic merit but by the questions it compels society to ask. Satluj is one such film.

Ironically, before audiences could even decide its relevance, the film itself has become the very issue it seeks to address. Delayed for nearly three years by legal challenges and censorship-related hurdles, it eventually found release not in theatres but on an OTT platform - only to be withdrawn within two days. Why do certain chapters of our history continue to make us so uncomfortable that even telling their story becomes an uphill battle?

At one level, Satluj is set against one of the darkest chapters in independent India's history. At another...