Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee to defy Satluj's Zee5 'ban', will hold public screenings of Diljit Dosanjh film

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee called the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj from Zee5 an attempt to suppress Jaswant Singh Khalra's story.

Days after Diljit Dosanjh-starrer political drama Satluj was removed from Zee5, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has objected to the move, calling it an attempt to suppress the story of social activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The DSGMC has also announced public screenings and educational seminars to ensure the film reaches the public.

Diljit Dosanjh in a still from Satluj.

The film, directed by Honey Trehan, is based on the life and death of Khalra, one of Punjab's leading human rights activists in the 1990s.

Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee on Satluj

On Tuesday, DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka said the film, based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, highlights the activist's efforts to uncover alleged human rights violations in Punjab and should not be prevented from reaching audiences.

“Since this film is a biographical portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it depicts how a social activist opened people's eyes to the truth. He uncovered evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as 'unclaimed' and raised the issue not only within the country but also internationally, highlighting the dire situation in Punjab. Suppressing this story, preventing the events of that dark era from reaching the public, is deeply wrong, and it has sparked immense outrage across the Sikh community,” Kalka said.

He added that the committee has decided to organise public screenings of the film and hold seminars in educational institutions on Khalra's life and work.

“We have asked all Gurdwara committee members to download and screen the film in their respective areas to ensure that it reaches the public. Furthermore, we will soon convene a meeting with the chairpersons of our schools and colleges. Seminars on Jaswant Singh Khalra will be organised in every college to discuss his life and legacy. We want people to realise the impact a single social activist can have on society. If one individual can achieve so much, there is no reason why we cannot all work together to do the same,” he added.

What is Satluj about?

Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk turned human rights activist, who exposed alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Punjab witnessed intense militancy and counter-insurgency operations. Khalra disappeared in 1995. Ten years later, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted of his abduction, torture, and alleged murder. Khalra's body has never been found.

The controversy around Satluj

The film, originally titled Panjab 95, was in a battle with the censor board for nearly four years after the CBFC demanded 120 cuts. On Friday, it was quietly released on Zee5, completely uncut, and with a new title. However, on Sunday, the film was removed from Zee5 in India, with the streamer citing ‘developments’. Reports have claimed that the film was taken down for violating the provisions of the IT Rules.

Helmed by Honey Trehan, produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, Satluj also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.