The critically acclaimed film Satluj (formerly Punjab ’95), starring Diljit Dosanjh as human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra, was abruptly removed from the streaming platform ZEE5 in India on 5 July 2026, merely two days after its uncut premiere.
The biographical drama delves into the harrowing era of the Punjab insurgency in the 1990s, focusing on the alleged illegal cremations of thousands of missing individuals. After facing immense hurdles from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for over three years, the film bypassed a theatrical release for a digital one. While ZEE5 cited undisclosed “current developments” for the removal, the platform expressed continued support for the film’s creative vision and is exploring legal avenues to bring it back, sparking a nationwide debate among audiences and human rights advocates over artistic freedom and political censorship.
Erasing History: The Battle for Certification
The controversy surrounding Satluj has morphed into a larger debate regarding a democracy’s ability to tolerate uncomfortable historical truths.
Initially submitted for theatrical certification in 2022, the film faced an extraordinary demand of 127 cuts from the CBFC, including a directive to remove the name of the very martyr the film honours. Refusing to compromise the narrative, the filmmakers chose an uncut digital release instead. Director Honey Trehan sharply criticised the regulatory body, stating, “Our work is our freedom of speech. CBFC tells us to change the name of Jaswant Singh Khalra… Jaswant Singh Khalra has been abducted once again; this time by the CBFC.”
The ensuing ban highlights the systemic pressures that seek to suppress narratives questioning state machinery, rendering the film’s absence as loud as its message.
Unearthing the Truth: The Legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra
To understand the gravity of the film, one must look at the deeply unsettling, real-life events that inspired it.
A bank manager by profession, Jaswant Singh Khalra dedicated his life to investigating the enforced disappearances of Sikh youth during the peak of the Punjab militancy. His meticulous research into municipal and cremation records exposed a grim reality: thousands of individuals had been secretly killed and cremated by the police without their families’ knowledge.
Tragically, Khalra’s pursuit of justice led to his own abduction and murder by the police in 1995. After years of relentless legal battles, several former officers were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in his death. Satluj is not an attempt to sensationalise history, but a sombre tribute to a man who refused to let the victims disappear from memory.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that silencing art which confronts our darkest historical realities is a disservice to the very foundations of a thriving democracy.
Erasing the painful memories of the Punjab insurgency does not heal old wounds; rather, it deepens the divide and invalidates the suffering of countless families. True harmony, empathy, and coexistence demand the courage to face uncomfortable truths through open dialogue, ensuring that the sacrifices of individuals like Jaswant Singh Khalra are neither forgotten nor suppressed. A nation’s strength is measured not by how efficiently it hides its past, but by how it learns from it to foster kindness and positive social change. Can we ever achieve genuine peace and justice if we continue to censor the voices that speak for the silenced?
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#WATCH | Chandigarh | On the removal of the film Satluj from the OTT platform Zee5, Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema says, "During the Congress government in Punjab from 1992 to 1997, there were a lot of atrocities committed against the youth and people of Punjab. It is very… pic.twitter.com/L31RRFV2k6
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2026
