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What is the story about?
TWO days after its long-awaited release, Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj – originally titled Punjab 95 – has been taken down from ZEE5 in India. The Honey Trehan directorial, which premiered on the streaming platform on July 3 after years of delays and controversy, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a Punjab-based human rights activist who became internationally known for exposing alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during Punjab's militancy years.
Born in 1952 in Khalra village in Amritsar district, he initially worked as a bank employee before dedicating himself to human rights activism. According to media reports, the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots had a profound impact on him.
During that period, many Sikh families claimed their relatives had disappeared after allegedly being picked up by the Punjab Police on suspicion of having links with militancy. As more people around him went missing, Khalra began collecting evidence.
His investigation reportedly led him to municipal corporation records in Amritsar, where he discovered documents containing the names, ages and addresses of thousands of people who had allegedly been killed and secretly cremated without their families being informed. His findings drew national and international attention and established him as one of Punjab's most prominent human rights activists.
In 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra himself disappeared. According to the Khalis Foundation, he was last seen washing his car outside his home before he went missing.
The following year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found evidence suggesting that he had been detained at a police station in Tarn Taran. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine Punjab Police officials in connection with his kidnapping and murder.
After a prolonged legal battle, on October 16, 2007, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and A N Jindal enhanced the punishment to life imprisonment for four of the accused—former Sub-Inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh, along with former head constable Prithipal Singh.
Khalra is survived by his wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, and their two children, Navkiran Kaur and Janmeet Singh.
Internet reacts to Satluj being removed
Soon after ZEE5 announced the film's removal, social media was flooded with reactions from viewers expressing disappointment over the decision.
A user wrote, "Those who saw it in 24 hours: know how powerful it was! Censorship in such a way is deeply problematic! Movies across the political spectrum should exist: it should be the prerogative of the audience to accept or reject a film!"
Another one added, "I was not even aware of this movie until this came out and now, I am tempted to watch it. If censor board think they can stop people from viewing by banning the content, they are wrong. Banning will only increase the viewership as more and more people will know about this."
"In today's environment, showing the truth is a struggle in itself, while propagandistic lies are easy to sell... One filmmaker dared to tell the truth and we must celebrate that courage. In support of #Punjab95 aka #Satluj, and demanding the film be made available again ASAP!" read another post.
Someone said, "Satluj being taken down says something very clear about India today. Hate can be promoted, propaganda can be rewarded, but a film that forces people to remember state violence is made to disappear. The problem was never the film but the truth it carries."
Sukhbir Singh Badal Condemns the film's removal
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also criticised the decision to remove the film from ZEE5.
In a post shared on X, he wrote, "Shocked and saddened by the arbitrary removal of #Satluj from #ZEE5 in India. A powerful film that courageously unveils Punjab’s painful history and honours the supreme sacrifice of S. Jaswant Singh Ji Khalra cannot be silenced this way."
ALSO READ | Diljit Dosanjh faces fresh Khalistani threats ahead of Auckland concert
"This is not mere censorship — it is an assault on our collective memory, truth, and freedom of expression. I strongly condemn this move. Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not suppression," the politician added.
Confirming the development, ZEE5 shared an official statement on Instagram, announcing that the film would remain unavailable in India until further notice while reaffirming its support for the project.
"The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life," the platform said.
Reaffirming its support for the film, ZEE5 added, "At ZEE5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives."
The streaming platform also confirmed that the film would not be available in India for now.
"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.
ALSO READ | Is Diljit Dosanjh no longer an Indian citizen? Report claims singer has US passport
“Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering," the streamer said.
How Satluj faced years of delay before release
The film has had a turbulent journey to release. Originally titled Punjab 95, it was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but remained stuck in the certification process for nearly three years. Filmmaker Honey Trehan had earlier alleged that the CBFC demanded 127 cuts to the film. It was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the screening was cancelled after objections were reportedly raised by Indian authorities.
The film was eventually released on ZEE5 under the new title Satluj. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a Punjab-based human rights activist who became internationally known for exposing alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during Punjab's militancy years.
Born in 1952 in Khalra village in Amritsar district, he initially worked as a bank employee before dedicating himself to human rights activism. According to media reports, the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots had a profound impact on him.
During that period, many Sikh families claimed their relatives had disappeared after allegedly being picked up by the Punjab Police on suspicion of having links with militancy. As more people around him went missing, Khalra began collecting evidence.
His investigation reportedly led him to municipal corporation records in Amritsar, where he discovered documents containing the names, ages and addresses of thousands of people who had allegedly been killed and secretly cremated without their families being informed. His findings drew national and international attention and established him as one of Punjab's most prominent human rights activists.
In 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra himself disappeared. According to the Khalis Foundation, he was last seen washing his car outside his home before he went missing.
The following year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found evidence suggesting that he had been detained at a police station in Tarn Taran. The agency recommended the prosecution of nine Punjab Police officials in connection with his kidnapping and murder.
After a prolonged legal battle, on October 16, 2007, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and A N Jindal enhanced the punishment to life imprisonment for four of the accused—former Sub-Inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh, along with former head constable Prithipal Singh.
Khalra is survived by his wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, and their two children, Navkiran Kaur and Janmeet Singh.
Internet reacts to Satluj being removed
Soon after ZEE5 announced the film's removal, social media was flooded with reactions from viewers expressing disappointment over the decision.
A user wrote, "Those who saw it in 24 hours: know how powerful it was! Censorship in such a way is deeply problematic! Movies across the political spectrum should exist: it should be the prerogative of the audience to accept or reject a film!"
#Satluj is NOT available anymore on ZEE5!
Those who saw it in 24 hours: know how powerful it was!
Censorship in such a way is deeply problematic!
Movies across the political spectrum should exist: it should be the prerogative of the audience to accept or reject a film!
— ANMOL JAMWAL (@jammypants4) July 5, 2026
Another one added, "I was not even aware of this movie until this came out and now, I am tempted to watch it. If censor board think they can stop people from viewing by banning the content, they are wrong. Banning will only increase the viewership as more and more people will know about this."
I was not even aware of this movie until this came out and now i am tempted to watch it
If censor board think they can stop people from viewing by banning the content, they are wrong
Banning will only increase the viewership as more and more people will know about this#Satluj pic.twitter.com/nAdTA7SHj0
— MH (@muvholic) July 5, 2026
"In today's environment, showing the truth is a struggle in itself, while propagandistic lies are easy to sell... One filmmaker dared to tell the truth and we must celebrate that courage. In support of #Punjab95 aka #Satluj, and demanding the film be made available again ASAP!" read another post.
In today's environment, showing the truth is a struggle in itself, while propagandistic lies are easy to sell... One filmmaker dared to tell the truth and we must celebrate that courage.
In support of #Punjab95 aka #Satluj, and demanding the film be made available again ASAP! pic.twitter.com/qow6GNneYB
— Rahul Raut (@Rahulrautwrites) July 5, 2026
Someone said, "Satluj being taken down says something very clear about India today. Hate can be promoted, propaganda can be rewarded, but a film that forces people to remember state violence is made to disappear. The problem was never the film but the truth it carries."
Sukhbir Singh Badal Condemns the film's removal
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also criticised the decision to remove the film from ZEE5.
In a post shared on X, he wrote, "Shocked and saddened by the arbitrary removal of #Satluj from #ZEE5 in India. A powerful film that courageously unveils Punjab’s painful history and honours the supreme sacrifice of S. Jaswant Singh Ji Khalra cannot be silenced this way."
ALSO READ | Diljit Dosanjh faces fresh Khalistani threats ahead of Auckland concert
"This is not mere censorship — it is an assault on our collective memory, truth, and freedom of expression. I strongly condemn this move. Punjab deserves to confront its past with honesty, not suppression," the politician added.
What Zee5 said
Shocked and saddened by the arbitrary removal of #Satluj from #ZEE5 in India. A powerful film that courageously unveils Punjab’s painful history and honours the supreme sacrifice of S. Jaswant
Singh Ji Khalra cannot be silenced this way. This is not mere censorship — it is an… pic.twitter.com/yfrkMKYq5D
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) July 5, 2026
Confirming the development, ZEE5 shared an official statement on Instagram, announcing that the film would remain unavailable in India until further notice while reaffirming its support for the project.
"The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life," the platform said.
Reaffirming its support for the film, ZEE5 added, "At ZEE5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives."
The streaming platform also confirmed that the film would not be available in India for now.
"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.
ALSO READ | Is Diljit Dosanjh no longer an Indian citizen? Report claims singer has US passport
“Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering," the streamer said.
How Satluj faced years of delay before release
The film has had a turbulent journey to release. Originally titled Punjab 95, it was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but remained stuck in the certification process for nearly three years. Filmmaker Honey Trehan had earlier alleged that the CBFC demanded 127 cuts to the film. It was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the screening was cancelled after objections were reportedly raised by Indian authorities.
The film was eventually released on ZEE5 under the new title Satluj. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.
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