The sudden removal of the biographical drama Satluj from ZEE5 has sparked a massive political and industry debate regarding censorship and freedom of speech in India. Inspired by the life of renowned Punjabi human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the film premiered quietly on the OTT platform on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 6 PM. However, despite gaining immediate critical acclaim and positive audience reviews, the film was pulled from the streaming platform within 48 hours without any official clarification from ZEE5.
Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh, who plays a police chief in the film, publicly questioned the decision and criticized the suppression of creative voices. Speaking to the Free Press Journal (FPJ), Singh supported the filmmakers’ plans to fight the takedown legally.
“I spoke to Honey [Trehan] after the film was taken down, and he has said that they shall be taking the matter to court. But what I don’t understand is why did they have to take it off? Even people who weren’t going to see it will want to see it now… But I want to ask, what is this freedom of speech? Tell me, I really want to know. That right is being strangled.” — Kanwaljit Singh, Actor
Understanding the Controversy Around Satluj
The film’s sudden removal has reignited a wider debate on film censorship, drawing widespread political reactions from organizations like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and political leaders from the SAD and BJP.
- A Prolonged Battle: Directed by Honey Trehan and produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, the movie was originally titled Punjab ’95. It remained unreleased for nearly four years due to stringent censorship and certification bottlenecks with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
- The “Uncut” Release: Leading man Diljit Dosanjh had recently confirmed that the version which briefly dropped on ZEE5 was completely uncut. Its sudden disappearance after overcoming years of legal battles has shocked the cast and crew, with co-star Ranvir Shorey calling the takedown “utterly disappointing.”
- The Real-Life Parallel: Diljit Dosanjh took to Instagram to process the setback, drawing a direct parallel between the movie and its real-world subject. He wrote that Satluj has “met the same fate” as Jaswant Singh Khalra, who historically disappeared and was killed in 1995 for exposing illegal state-sponsored disappearances in Punjab.
“Koi Tension Nahi”: Diljit Urges Fans to Share Downloads
During an Instagram Live session following the takedown, fans flooded Dosanjh’s comments section to inform him that thousands of viewers had already downloaded high-quality files of Satluj before ZEE5 removed it.
Reassuring his audience with a relaxed “Sab ne kar layi download, koi tension nahi” (Everyone has downloaded it, there’s no tension), the actor actively urged fans who possess the files to share them through private networks. He encouraged families to watch the film together and keep the narrative alive while the producers pursue a legal resolution to get Satluj restored to official streaming platforms.