Satluj actor Kanwaljit Singh says ‘freedom of speech is being strangled’ as Diljit Dosanjh's film was removed from Zee5

Satluj premiered on ZEE5 but was removed two days later without explanation. Actor Kanwaljit Singh criticised this as a violation of free speech.

Filmmaker Honey Trehan's political drama Satluj premiered on ZEE5 on Friday after being caught in release-related hurdles for nearly four years. However, the film was taken down from the streaming platform just two days later without any official explanation. Reacting to the development, actor Kanwaljit Singh questioned the state of freedom of speech in the country and said the makers are planning to move court.

Actor Kanwaljit Singh's still from Honey Trehan's Satluj.

Kanwaljit Singh on Satluj being removed from ZEE5

In an interview with the Free Press Journal, Kanwaljit Singh spoke about his character, which many believe is inspired by former Punjab DGP KPS Gill. He clarified, "People are assuming that I'm playing Gill. However, the brief I followed was to study clippings of different DGPs and police chiefs. I also have a friend who is a retired DGP, with whom I discussed how the character should be."

Speaking about the film being removed from the OTT platform within two days of its release, he said, "I spoke to Honey after the film was taken down, and he said they shall be taking the matter to court. But what I don't understand is why they had to take it off. Even people who weren't going to watch it will want to watch it now. It has also been downloaded by so many people, so even though lots of people will be watching it, the producers will lose out. But I want to ask, what is this freedom of speech? Tell me, I really want to know. That right is being strangled."

About Satluj

Satluj is based on the life and death of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who became one of Punjab's leading human rights activists in the mid-1990s after investigating the alleged cremation of around 25,000 unidentified bodies in the state between 1984 and 1994. The film chronicles the events leading to his abduction in 1995. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted of his abduction and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The film was originally titled Punjab 95 and stars Diljit Dosanjh as Khalra. Produced by Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala under the banners of MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP, the film also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles.

Satluj was removed from ZEE5 in a sudden move, with reports claiming that the Centre directed the platform to take it down, citing "security concerns" and obligations under the Information Technology Rules, 2021. According to news agency PTI, the makers had applied for CBFC certification in 2022 under the original title Punjab 95, but the certification process stalled after they did not implement the 127 cuts suggested by the board.

A government official told PTI, "They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the CBFC's jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government's notice, ZEE was asked to take the film down. The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and on OTT, they should follow the laid-down norms."