Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj (formerly Panjab ’95) was removed from streaming platform Zee5 in India just two days after its July 3 premiere. The move came after the film, based on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life, had finally released online following nearly four years of certification hurdles.

The film’s writer Niren Bhatt, who co-wrote it with Utsav Maitra and director Honey Trehan, says he was caught off-guard by the move and was left “speechless and heartbroken”. He shares, “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 and it was getting positive word-of-mouth.”

He adds, “Diljit said he anticipated it but I hoped that everyone would enjoy the film for what it is.”

Calling the removal a “bad precedent”, Bhatt says it could make filmmakers hesitant to tell real stories: “Whoever attempts to tell a story will now be worried whether the project will see light of day. If this goes on, we will have to play safe, nothing political and no more real stories.”

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Whoever attempts to tell a story will now be worried whether the project will see light of day. If this goes on, we will have to play safe, nothing political and no more real stories. We will have to keep questioning if the film will hurt someone or go against some agenda or ideology.

- Niren Bhatt, writer

Birendra Nath Tiwari, President of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), says actors should be more mindful of the projects they choose. He shares, “Diljit has a huge fan base that looks up to him. He should keep this in mind before supporting controversial films that can create unrest in society. If the government and censor board have issues, the film is not fit for public viewing.”