Satluj released without certification process being completed, says I&B Ministry: ‘Violated provisions of IT Rules’

Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj was taken down from streaming platform Zee5 just two days after its release, triggering widespread reactions.

A day after the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj was taken down from the streaming platform Zee5, a new report quoted Ministry of Information and Broadcasting officials as saying it happened because the film's makers released it ‘without the required certification process being completed’.

Suvinder Vicky in Satluj, the contentious film by Honey Trehan.

Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and was released on Zee5 on Friday. On Sunday, just two days later, it was removed from the platform in India, the streamer informed in a statement.

‘Satluj makers violated provisions of IT rules’

An ANI report said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) stated that the film was released on an OTT platform without due process being followed. An official from the Ministry told ANI, “Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film's title and released it on an OTT platform on Friday.”

Satluj, earlier titled Panjab 95, was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022, when the board demanded 27 cuts and a title change. The makers moved court, following which a revision committee demanded 120 cuts. Eventually, after four years of legal wrangling, the film was released on Zee5 this weekend as Satluj, uncut.

The Ministry said it had not received any representation from the filmmakers seeking approval or reconsideration before the film was released.

On Sunday, Zee5 confirmed the removal in an official statement: “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.”

About Satluj

The film stars Diljit Dosanjh as Khalra, the activist who investigated extrajudicial killings in Punjab in the 90s. Despite the removal, Diljit expressed satisfaction that audiences had already watched the film.

“But now I have the satisfaction that at least our work has reached people the way we wanted it to. People have already downloaded it. One thing that made me especially happy was seeing that they're even screening the movie with a projector at Gurudwara Sahib. It brought me immense joy to see that,” he said.

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