Satluj: Sikh Body Condemns Removal Of Diljit Dosanjh Film, Demands Restrictions To Be Lifted

After

a three-year delay due to certification issues, Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj, previously titled Punjab '95, premiered digitally on ZEE5. Directed by Honey Trehan, the film had a quiet release on the OTT platform. It opened to great reviews from critics and audiences alike. However, within 48 hours of its release, Satluj was taken down from the streamer. The platform officially announced that the film would remain unavailable in India until further notice. Amid this, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, condemned the removal of Diljit Dosanjh movie.

Sikh body slams removal of Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj

According to India Today's report, SGPC president called removal of Satluj as an unjustified attempt to suppress the truth. He further demanded all restrictions on Diljit Dosanjh film to be lifted. According to Dhami, no ban can erase the truth about atrocities suffered by the Sikhs.

The reported quoted Dhami stating that the Honey Trehan directorial highlights work and life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The SGPC president mentioned that Khalra dedicated his life to exposing allegedly illegal killings and secret cremations. According to Dhami, the movie presented historical facts and human right issues that could be openly debated and viewed instead of being censored.The Sikh body's president further reacted to court judgements in cases involving former police officials. He believes that those rulings reinforced that history could not be denied. He also opined that the removal of Satluj is an attempt to silent the voices of those seeking to bring the truth to light.

What is Satluj all about?

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj was initially planned for a theatrical release. However, the Central Board of Film Certification had reportedly requested makers to make more than 125 cuts. Talking about the movie, it is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the alleged illegal cremation of unidentified bodies during Punjab's militancy era of the 1980s and 1990s. Apart from Diljit, Satluj features Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Suvinder Pal Vicky, Kanwaljit Singh, Varun Badola, and others.

Meanwhile, ZEE5 recently urged everyone not to support piracy after the film was made unavailable. The streaming platform promised to bring back the film for masses. "We are hopeful and doing everything we can. Please do not support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring Satluj back to you," the statement read.Stay tuned to this space for more updates!