Satluj Controversy: MP & RTI Activist Saket Gokhale Questions Removal Of Diljit Dosanjh's Film From Zee5, Writes To Centre

Just two days after premiering on Zee5, Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj has been taken down from the streaming platform in India. The development has drawn the attention of Rajya Sabha MP and RTI activist Saket Gokhale, who has written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, questioning the decision.

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj was released on Zee5 on Friday but was no longer available to stream by Sunday evening. For those unversed, the film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged extra-judicial killings and illegal cremations in Punjab during the 1990s.

Sharing a copy of his letter addressed to Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, Gokhale expressed his concern over the film's removal.

He wrote, “I was fortunate to watch the film 'Satluj’ yesterday before an order, purportedly from your Ministry, forced the OTT platform Zee5 to take it down. I am not sure if you have watched the film but I would highly recommend that you do so in order to understand that you are doing a great disservice to our country by banning the film.”

Explaining why he believes the film is important, Gokhale added, “Satluj is a gut-punch to everyone who is either unaware or ignorant of the events of 1995 in Punjab. The film remembers a human rights hero Jaswant Singh Khalra who was killed for exposing extra-judicial killings and for trying to find out what happened to victims of those dark times whose bodies were marked as "unclaimed" and disposed of while their families wait for them even today.”

He further questioned why a film dealing with a difficult chapter of history should be banned, arguing that societies should confront their past instead of avoiding it.

“The darkness of 1995 shown in Satluj is a human rights failure that implicates our collective system. The film does not point or single out any political party but uses facts to show how some rotten people in our system engaged in mass killings purely for their personal benefit,” he wrote.

Concluding his letter, Gokhale said, “In that light, the film Satluj makes us confront our past and introspect about atrocities that have been perpetrated in our homes. Banning the film will not erase the darkness nor will it absolve all of us for what was done to Punjab. Instead, the conversation sparked by this powerful film should be a starting point for righting the wrongs that we committed so that, perhaps, the process of healing can begin.”

Along with the letter, Gokhale shared a caption on social media that read, “I understand this is a futile exercise but history will not forgive us if we choose to remain silent.”

Originally titled Punjab '95, the film reportedly faced hurdles before its release. The makers were earlier asked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to make 125 cuts for a theatrical release. After remaining unreleased for nearly four years, the film finally premiered on Zee5.

Following its removal, Zee5 issued a statement saying, “In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice.” The streaming platform also said it "firmly stand" with the film and its team.

Diljit Dosanjh had earlier hinted that such a situation could arise. During a livestream, the actor said, “You can trouble me as much as you want. I am with Punjab till the day I die.”