New Delhi, July 6 -- Just two days ago, actor-musician Diljit Dosanjh's long-delayed film 'Satluj' started streaming on 'Zee5' on July 3. On Sunday, the Jaswant Singh Khalra biopic, directed by Honey Trehan, was taken down from the streaming platform. The film, which is based on the 1990s Punjab insurgency era, was released on OTT after being delayed for more than three years due to a CBFC certification issue. This sudden removal of the film from OTT has triggered both creative and political controversies.
While several distinguished personalities like Harbhajan Singh, Onir and Ranvir Shorey have expressed their disappointment over the film's removal, Shiromani Akali Dal's chief Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the move. "Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not suppression," he said. Kulwant Singh Mannan, the chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), appealed to the people of Punjab to watch 'Satluj'. Ex-India cricketer Harbhajan wrote, "Punjab's mothers are still waiting for answers. Truth cannot remain buried forever."
In his first reaction, Diljit, who is presently in the US for a music tour, shared a cryptic post on 'Instagram'. He posted a still from the movie with a hard-hitting caption. "I challenge the darkness," he wrote. In fact, the acclaimed actor-musician said he isn't surprised that the film has been banned. "I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. This was already on my mind. It is not something to be shocked about (the ban)," he said in an Instagram live from the US.
Diljit also spoke about how the film was being screened at a gurudwara in Rajasthan. "The youth today is talking about the film. I am satisfied that the film has reached you," he said. The 'Amar Singh Chamkila' actor said that the more one tries to stop the film, the more it would become a talking point. "Nothing disappears from the internet, not even a voice note on 'WhatsApp'," he said.
Meanwhile, 'Zee5' issued a statement after the removal of the film. "In light of the current developments, 'Satluj' will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity," the official statement read.
In another development, advocate Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs and urged the government to file an FIR against the director, actor and the streaming platform for spreading misinformation and sympathising with terrorism.
The film, originally titled 'Punjab '95', was stuck with the censors for more than three years. The director and actor refused to release it with the 127 cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification. The film unveils one of the darkest chapters of Punjab's militant era. Diljit is seen playing Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh human rights activist who documented the alleged illegal disappearances and secret cremations of Sikhs in the 1990s. The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.