‘Satluj’ controversy: Center drops Diljit Dosanjh star on ‘security issues’; specifies ‘responsibilities’ under the IT Rules 2021 |

The Center has ordered OTT platform ZEE5 to remove Diljit Dosanjh-starrer film ‘Satluj’ citing “security concerns” and “liability” under the IT Rules 2021, government sources said on Monday, even as political parties in Punjab and the main Sikh group SGPC pushed for its release, and the actor appealed to the public to watch it.

‘Satluj’ has been removed with reference to IT Rules 2021

‘Satluj’, which chronicles the life of freedom fighter Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab during the tumultuous 1990s when the state suffered from terrorism, remained a top seller for more than three years. Released uncut on ZEE5 on Friday, the film was removed from the platform on Sunday evening.OTT content is not regulated by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and is governed by Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

‘Sutlej’ removed due to ‘security issues’

A government official said the makers of ‘Sutlej’ had applied for a CBFC license in 2022 under its original title ‘Punjab 95’, but they did not accept the 127 cuts reported by the censor board and its release.“They stuck to the guidelines and finally quietly released the film on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the jurisdiction of the CBFC. When the matter came to the attention of the government, Zee was asked to take it (the film) down.“The directive was issued due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the guidelines under the central guidelines. If they want to release the film in theaters and OTT, they have to follow the guidelines,” the official told PTI.

Diljit Dosanjh They encourage fans to download the film

Dosanjh on Monday said that this should be done, as ZEE5 issued an appeal asking people not to cooperate with the piracy as the film has already been downloaded by many.The Honey Trehan directed documentary on the life of Khalra who investigated thousands of unidentified cremations in Punjab over a period of 10 years from 1984 to 1994. He was arrested in 1995 and has not been seen since. In 2005, four Punjab police officers were convicted of abducting and killing Khalra and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court increased their sentence to life imprisonment.On Friday, the film arrived quietly on ZEE5 unscathed but with a different title and zero promotion, which Dosanjh said was because he didn’t want to waste any chances the film had.

Political parties are targeting ‘Satluj’

The issue quickly escalated with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticizing the removal of the film from the OTT platform, saying the government should deal with the past.People should know what happened those days in Punjab, Kulwant Singh Manan, general secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).“What is the problem if the facts are shown, and people will know what happened those days in Punjab,” Manan told PTI over phone.Condemning the “reckless removal” of the film, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Efforts to hide the government’s atrocities against Sikhs will not succeed.“Today the honorable courts are giving punishments to the policemen of that time. How can one deny the decisions of these courts?” Dhami asked.Condemning the removal of the film, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “This is not just a look, it is an attack on our memory, truth and freedom of speech… Punjab needs to face its past honestly, not oppressively. “Senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira took him on.“I strongly condemn the cancellation of the film ‘Satluj’ made by Diljit Dosanjh about police brutality in the arrest and execution of Prof Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist in 1995,” he said.AAP leader and MP Malvinder Singh Kang said censorship becomes a very dangerous tool when a country starts to fear its reputation.AAP’s Baltej Pannu said, “The younger generation wants to know what happened in Punjab in 1978, 1984, 1990s and other important times. If they are denied books and documentaries, films are an important way to preserve the truth of history.”When asked to explain the removal of the film’s OTT, Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said, “I understand the reason.”In a big segment on Instagram Live from the US where he is traveling, Dosanjh expressed his frustration.“I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. This was already in my mind. It’s not a surprise (the ban). I thought it would be banned on Monday when the offices open…“But I had no idea that it would happen on Sunday evening itself. We didn’t even promote the film, we just released it. If we had promoted it, it wouldn’t have lasted even two days. But I am satisfied that people will see the film, it has reached them,” said Dosanjh in Punjabi.“It was very important for it to reach you and this has happened… I am grateful that what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it, has been delivered. It is your film and you can watch it as you want,” he said.“This was the only way to release the film… without saying anything because this has to happen,” said Dosanjh, adding that when someone tries to stop the film, it becomes more popular because nothing is missing from the Internet, not even a voice note sent on Whatsapp.

ZEE5 was a little different.

“We are doing our best to bring ‘Satluj’. Please do your part – don’t support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every avenue we can to bring ‘Satluj’ to you,” he said in an Instagram post.On Sunday night, it said, “Based on the current situation, ‘Satluj’ will not be available in India till further notice…”The actor did not specify the meaning of “what is happening now”, but he said that the response to the video was great and helped the emotional impact of the video.

‘Satluj’ is released after a delay

In 2023, the film was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was pulled from the lineup without an official statement from the organizers.‘Punjab ’95’ is slated for a worldwide release on February 7, 2025, with no cuts, except in India. But that release also did not happen. The story also became popular on social networks.Citing former CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi In a post, comedian Kunal Kamra said Khalra has been hacked again, “this time by the CBFC”.“And again many companies are silent which should scare us all and affects us all. How can we give up our freedom to tell stories…especially such powerful stories,” filmmaker Onir wrote.Director Anurag Basu He said on X that he never thought Trehan would face the same fate as Iranian artist Jafar Panahi faced in his country.