Satluj Writer Niren Bhatt Defends Diljit Dosanjh’s Film: ‘There's Nothing Controversial About It’

The conversation around Satluj refuses to die down. Days after the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer disappeared from ZEE5 India, one of the film’s writers has spoken out about the disappointment surrounding its removal, saying the team never intended to make a political film but wanted to tell an important human rights story.

In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, writer Niren Bhatt, who co-wrote Satluj with Utsav Maitra and director Honey Trehan, defended the film and said everything shown on screen was backed by extensive research and public records.

Bhatt said the makers relied on documented material while writing the film, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.

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Of Jaswant Singh Khalra That Inspired Diljit Dosanjh’s Film

“Whatever we have shown in the film is backed by newspaper articles, reports, documentaries, it’s all out there. Also, Supreme Court lawyer Rajvinder Singh Bains, who served as the lawyer for human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra has also said that this is the judicial history of the country. I was hoping that once the film is out people will see there is nothing problematic about it. It’s just a common man’s story who showed tremendous courage to fight for death certificates of people by putting himself and his family on the line. There is nothing controversial or political about it, it’s a human rights story.”

Satluj, which was earlier titled Punjab 95, premiered on ZEE5 on July 3. However, it was removed from the platform in India within two days. Bhatt said the film had started receiving encouraging feedback from viewers before it was pulled down.

“Whoever has seen the film has been asking why was it kept under wraps for three years, there’s nothing problematic about it. We had given up hope that it will never come out but surprisingly on Friday evening we got a message that it is live now. It’s a difficult film to watch but was getting a positive word of mouth. I was speechless and heartbroken when it was pulled off. Diljit said he anticipated it but I had hope and was confident that everyone will enjoy the film for what it is.”

Bhatt also expressed concern over what the incident could mean for writers and filmmakers who want to tell stories based on real events. According to him, the team spoke to families affected by the events, lawyers involved in the case and even police personnel while researching the script. They also referred to literature from that period.

“We were careful while writing this film, we met the affected families, lawyers who fought this case, even policemen. We referred to literature of those times. Now this move is setting a bad precedent because in the future people will refer to our film, like in the past Black Friday was stuck was years because of political reasons. Whoever attempts to tell a story will now be worried whether the project will see light of day. Writers dont get royalties, we dont have entourage and vanity vans, most writers are struggling. If this goes on we will have to play safe, no more real stories, nothing political. Even names of places will have to be fictional, we will have to keep questioning if the film will hurt someone or go against some agenda or ideology. Writers are now scared to attempt anything religious or political.”

Bhatt also said streaming platforms now operate under increasing pressure following previous controversies. “They wont understand why the head of their platform in India is running around for anticipatory bail. After the Tandav controversy anyway there was a lot of self censoring, now we are even more scared. We wrote and made the film with the sole purpose of releasing it in theatres.”

He added that the team still does not know exactly who ordered the film’s removal. “The problem is we don’t have any clarity who has taken the film off, it’s only if we have the reason that we can look into the issue.”

Meanwhile, BN Tiwari offered a different view on the controversy, saying actors should be mindful of the films they choose. “Diljit is a good actor and singer but he should be careful about what films he signs. He should avoid films that cause controversies and can hurt people’s sentiments. If the government and censor board have issues, the film is not fit for public viewing. He has a big fan base who looks up to him, he should keep all this in mind before supporting controversial films, that can create unrest in society.”

Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the human rights activist who investigated alleged extra-judicial killings and disappearances during Punjab’s militancy years. According to the events depicted in the film, Khalra was abducted by police officials, held captive, tortured and later killed. In real life, he was abducted outside his home in September 1995. He disappeared after the incident, and his body has never been recovered.

The film was taken off ZEE5 India on July 5, just two days after its digital release. According to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Satluj was released without completing the mandatory certification process.

“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,” an official from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry told news agency ANI.

The Centre has also cited national security concerns. According to ETimes, officials reportedly believed the film’s content could have implications for public order and security, leading to its removal shortly after it became available for streaming.

Originally titled Punjab 95, the film had remained stuck for years after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly sought multiple cuts. Instead of making those changes, the makers eventually released the film directly on OTT under its new title, Satluj.

For now, Satluj remains unavailable for streaming in India.