Finally, Salman Khan can breathe a sigh of relief. Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace is on its way to reach the audience at last. The trailer of Apoorva Lakhia’s directorial feature will be unveiled today, where the superstar will announce its release date. From what mid-day has heard, the war drama will most likely be a December 11 outing, arriving about a fortnight before Shah Rukh Khan’s much-anticipated King.

A trade source revealed that Maatrubhumi — which has had a tough road to release — has got the greenlight from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

“Recently, the film not only got the No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Defence, but also secured the CBFC certificate. While Shraddha Kapoor’s Eetha will hit the screens on December 4 and Shah Rukh Khan’s King on December 24, there is a string of Hollywood releases that month. Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three have booked December 17 and 18 slots respectively, while Jumanji: Open World will arrive on December 25. So, Salman Khan Films is aiming for the December 11 window.”

That’s almost eight months later than the intended release. Originally titled Battle Of Galwan, the Eid 2026 release was to chronicle the 2020 India-China clash in the Galwan valley. However, in March, it was rechristened Maatrubhumi, with reports indicating that the makers had to reshoot portions and soften its stance amid the easing of hostilities between India and China.

The source added, “The film was also taking time as the VFX work went on till this month. While Salman and his team had to creatively sacrifice certain elements in the narrative, he was clear from day one that it would be an anti-war movie and show China in a good light. Salman was also certain that he didn’t want to depict too much violence.”

In early October, rumours surfaced that the makers of Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace were lining up its screening for the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Since then, mid-day did some digging around and found out that the movie — which was originally titled Battle Of Galwan and was to chronicle the 2020 India-China clash in the Galwan valley — has yet to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Until the war drama gets a greenlight from the MoD, it cannot approach the CBFC for a certificate.

According to sources, director Apoorva Lakhia’s war drama was screened for the MoD mid-2026. The step applies to movies, documentaries, and web series stories based on the Indian Armed Forces.

A source revealed, “At the first screening, they had a few suggestions for the film that sees Salman as an army officer. The makers reshot parts of the movie as per their recommendations.” Maatrubhumi has reportedly undergone several modifications over the months — from its title to the depiction of the neighbouring country and a tonal shift in the narrative.

The source further added that earlier this month, Khan, Lakhia, and the team sent the movie’s revised cut to the ministry.

The source revealed, “Since then, there has been complete silence from the MoD. As Salman plays a soldier in the Indian Army in the movie, the makers have to follow strict regulations and approval processes before its release. The actor has been following the necessary protocols. The makers were hoping that the matter would be resolved soon, so that they could then apply for the CBFC certificate. They cannot secure a release date even for next year, unless they get the NOC from the MoD.”

Get ready to be thrust into the world of Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend the next time you’re in a theatre. A two-minute-26-second trailer of the movie’s 3D version was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on October 15 and will play in cinemas from next week before the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash-starrer arrives on November 5.

A source close to the development revealed, “The 3D version is an important part of filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s vision, and particularly the film’s global strategy. The idea is to give audiences an experience that makes them want to watch the movie on the big screen. The IMAX format will be a key part of that push. In terms of release, the makers are targeting more than 50,000 screens in international markets and approximately 9000 screens in India.”

The international ambition of Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend has been evident with the makers roping in renowned composer.

Hans Zimmer, taking the epic to San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, and recent news emerged that the film will be released in 40 languages.

A trade source said, “The focus is on how the film is presented to audiences internationally. The 3D experience will play a significant role there.”

The industry is abuzz with chatter that Salman Khan’s ‘Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace’ will be viewed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) this week. Amid this development, mid-day has learnt that director Apoorva Lakhia and the writers have made significant changes to the war drama’s climax.

Changes have been a constant feature in the Khan-starrer, which was originally titled ‘Battle Of Galwan’ and was to chronicle the 2020 India-China clash in the Galwan valley, with the superstar playing Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu. However, as India-China relations improved in the past few years, concerns emerged over the film’s depiction of the neighbouring country, leading to the project being reworked and reshot. With the movie being rechristened ‘Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace’, the change in the film’s tonality is evident.

Naturally, modifications have extended to the film’s ending. A source revealed, “The climax and Salman’s character arc have been reworked. The makers have been careful about how the India-China conflict is positioned, and now, the end message is in keeping with the movie’s call for peace.”

Last week, the film’s revised version reportedly received a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The source added, “It has been submitted to the CBFC and a screening date will be obtained.”

mid-day reached out to the film’s production team, which didn’t respond till press time.

Salman Khan’s next, the war drama Maatrubhumi, which has been in the news over its title change and delayed release, may finally have a release date soon. Sources close to the film say the Apoorva Lakhia directorial, also starring Chitrangda Singh, is expected to hit screens this year, with Diwali or Christmas being considered as possible options.

“The film is in the process of being viewed by the CBFC this week. There have been no other changes. Salman Khan’s films have traditionally been family entertainers, so there is little reason to anticipate major objections from the censor board. Once passed, the team is looking at a Diwali or Christmas release,” the source shares.

Maatrubhumi, earlier titled Battle Of Galwan, reportedly underwent reshoots following objections to its initial anti-China stance. While recent reports claimed the I&B Ministry had cleared the revised version, the source says the government never halted the film: “Maatrubhumi has never been halted by the government, and reports suggesting otherwise are mere speculation."

The revised film-certification guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), announced on September 16, have brought the debate around artistic freedom back into focus. As the newly constituted board begins its term, actor-filmmaker and CBFC board member Pallavi Joshi tells us she does not see her role as one that would curb artistic expression.

“I am personally against any kind of restrictions on art and expression,” she shares, adding, “I do not, as an artist, as a performer, as a filmmaker, like to be told that I shouldn’t be doing this and I shouldn’t be doing that. And I have no intention of doing that while on the board.”

Joshi, however, acknowledges that any new framework can reveal gaps once it is put into practice. “Anytime any new law is put in place, as you go forward, you realise that there are loopholes in it and it needs to be amended in certain ways,” she says.

“You see a lot of changes happening over the course of time until the law becomes comfortable for everyone. And I think we hope to achieve that with the given guidelines. We hope to come to a place where art and expression is not curbed. At least I would like to reach there,” she elaborates.

The 57-year-old also believes art should challenge audiences rather than simply entertain them. “I think art is a medium which should disturb people. It is not just song and dance. It has to be romance also. It has to be biopics also. It has to be thought-provoking also. It has to give you a jolt sometimes. Sometimes it has to slap you awake from your slumber,” she says.

Joshi reiterates that artistic expression can take multiple forms. “Art can be defined in many forms and there should not be any restriction on any kind of expression of art,” she says, while adding that it is still too early to comment on how the revised guidelines will work in practice.

The new CBFC guidelines retain the 1991 framework, with additions on drug-related warnings and age-based markers. The newly constituted board has not yet held its first meeting, Joshi says, adding that its members are yet to discuss how they will approach the framework.

(From left) Manoj Joshi, Amit Rai, Milan Luthria, Onir and Raja Krishna Menon

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the body responsible for regulating the public exhibition of films, has now changed the certification guidelines for films. Notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act 1952, the new rules make anti-drug warnings mandatory in films depicting narcotics, while also reiterating restrictions on violence, sensitive subjects and content that could affect India’s relations with other countries. The changes come alongside the Centre’s reconstitution of the CBFC with a new 18-member board. Here's what a few filmmakers and directors have to say about these new guidelines.

While I am against any form of censorship, cinema has a significant influence on society, and to that end, it is important for filmmakers to be cognisant of their responsibility while telling a story. Portraying society as one sees it, with all its beauty and its ills, and using cinema to initiate conversations around subjects, especially those that are considered taboo, is just as important as being mindful not to celebrate or excuse certain behaviours or acts. Ultimately, it comes down to the intention of the storyteller.

Any medium which we can see – films, social media or anything – the visual impact has a lost longing impact that in Natya Shastra Maharishi Bharat Muni said thousands of years ago. So, there should be a balance between creative liberty and its impact on society. We have liberty to express and does not mean serving anything in the name of creativity. There should first be self censorship on parinam aur dushparinam. So, the balance is most important considering its impact on society.”

There are quite a few guidelines by the CBFC so I’ll address the main points. The audience is smart enough to decide whether violence in a film is within acceptable parameters or not. If the audience thinks violence is being shown just for the sake of it without maintaining a balance of other parameters in the film, that’s for them to discern. What is too much for you may be okay for me, so it’s difficult to say how much is too much, everybody has a different opinion on what is acceptable. Which is why these guidelines won’t be easy to implement. We have already dealt with warnings about smoking, alcohol, animals, children who act in our films, but ultimately filmmaking is an art form and a filmmaker should be allowed to express themselves.

It’s very worrisome because it takes away from the fact that films have always been not just entertainment. There is one section which is just entertainment, but films are also about asking questions, wanting change and not basically glorifying the status quo for society. When you have these big terms as to what exactly defines ‘anti-national’ — is questioning the government, a political leader or religion anti-national? How is any of this anti-national or wrong? Because how come we do not have any kind of curbing of dialogue when it comes to all these things, like religion?

If we start writing a story with a menu card in the picture of what we can or cannot do, it will impact the process. While writing a story, I never think of anything, otherwise I wouldn’t have written a film like OMG 2. Creativity requires a free-flowing process, but if the system wants to safeguard the national interest, they are right in their way, but we are right too. We can always come to a middle ground. It’s just pehle jo logon galti kari, uska khamiyaza hum log bhugtenge. Although, if the intention is pure, even the system will understand.”

- Films will have to be more responsible and sensitive to values and standards of society.

- Films to not promote communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitude.

- Films to not promote content that could strain India’s friendly relations with foreign states

- Scenes involving consumption or trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances must carry a warning

Certification changes now states that movies can receive one of the six certificates: U, UA 7+, UA 13+, UA 16+, A and S

A day after reports claimed that Anuparna Roy’s acclaimed drama Songs Of Forgotten Trees had been blocked in India, the filmmaker has set the record straight. Speaking to mid-day from Venice, Roy said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is working towards clearing the film for a domestic release.

“I am hopeful for the constitution of India, the Indian government, as well as the censor board. I am sure they are working their best to get our film out,” said Roy.

The filmmaker’s second feature, Lovers In The Blue Night, premièred at the Venice Film Festival on September 11.

Roy also took to Instagram to clarify reports that Songs Of Forgotten Trees had been banned in India. She wrote on her Instagram Story, “I think there has been some misunderstanding about my words as English is not my primary language. I wish to clarify that my film is not banned or blocked in India.”

Songs Of Forgotten Trees premièred at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where Roy won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for it. “My film stands for love, bonding, and humanity between two migrants,” she added. Since then, the film has travelled to several international and Indian festivals and now awaits its domestic release.

Starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, the film follows two women whose lives become intertwined in Mumbai

With Mirzapur: The Movie, Hindi cinema is attempting something that Hollywood has done several times over — taking a popular series to the big screen. As Gurmmeet Singh’s directorial venture opened in theatres on September 4, actor Shweta Tripathi viewed it as an experiment that will have implications beyond the film.

“If Mirzapur doesn’t take this risk, then we may never know whether the audience is willing to give you time and money on the big screen as well. Whatever happens with Mirzapur will decide [the future] not just for the film, but for the industry and audience. It will open up so many possibilities for creators,” said the actor, who has played Golu Gupta since the first season.

Taking Mirzapur’s unfiltered world of violence, expletives, and unabashed swagger from streaming to the big screen meant negotiating a different set of rules, especially that of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). But the makers were certain of one thing — the crime drama’s flavour shouldn’t be diluted.

“The bhaukaal shouldn’t be less,” laughed the actor. “The CBFC is doing its job and we have to respect that. So, according to that, we found another way. In fact, your vocabulary of abuses will become more creative,” she chuckled.

Led by Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu, Ali Fazal, and Rasika Dugal, the film takes Shweta back to Golu of season one, before violence and loss changed her. Returning to that version after nine years proved challenging.

She reflected, “I was nervous about how I’d go back to season one. Here, Golu is falling in love for the first time. On day one, I thought I was doing a horrible job. But then, Golu came back to me.”

Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Awarapan’ (2007) remains memorable as much for its songs as for its unrequited love story. So, as soon as ‘Awarapan 2’ was announced, speculation abounded whether its hits ‘Tera Mera Rishta’ and ‘Toh Phir Aao’ would be revisited. Now, mid-day has learnt that Pakistani singer Mustafa Zahid, who voiced the original ‘Tera Mera Rishta’, is in talks with producers Mukesh and Vishesh Bhatt to record its reprised version.

This development comes as a surprise — after all, following the 2016 Uri attack, the Indian film industry stopped working with Pakistani artistes. In the aftermath of the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, cine bodies reiterated their stance of boycotting artistes across the border.

However, talks about a potential collaboration are on between Zahid and the ‘Awarapan 2’ makers. If things go as planned, the recording will take place in Dubai this week.

A source said, “Should the deal materialize, it will mark one of the rare instances in recent years of a Pakistani playback singer recording for a mainstream Hindi film. The song won’t be used in ‘Awarapan 2’ as that may land the film in certification trouble. So, the makers are considering bypassing its theatrical use; it will be used only in social media-led promotions. The professional reunion is awaiting approval from both parties at this stage.”

mid-day reached out to Vishesh Bhatt, who didn’t respond till press time.

Ghibli AI fever has taken over our phone screens but this week we watched a movie Max Min And Meowzaki by director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy that wants to reclaim Hayao Miyazaki’s real legacy, reigniting debates around artistic originality and a long-standing criticism of AI-generated art. The filmmaker believes the social media discourse on the subject has missed what truly makes the Japanese master timeless.

His Hindi film starring Adil Hussain, Nasser, Medha Shankr, Siddharth Menon, Mandira Bedi, Nafisa Ali and Vidhatri Bandi among others, even names its feline after Miyazaki. But the reference for Narasimhamurthy, it’s about bringing back the values that define Miyazaki’s cinema. “I think the biggest thing is friendship,” he says.

“If it’s genuine, it endures. You see that throughout the film. Every relationship begins with friendship before it becomes anything else. That’s something Miyazaki has always understood. Whether it’s between men and women, humans and non-humans, his films always celebrate the depth of friendship.”

Just as important, he says, is compassion. “In Miyazaki’s films, people genuinely care about each other. We are closed to other points of view. For instance, a track I used in this film is about a friend of mine who cut all ties because his girlfriend wanted to have an abortion and I supported her because well, her body, her decision! People think it’s biographical, but it’s really not. Some of what my relationship with my father was, is mirrored in the movie. I built in a grandfather I wish I could have had. The bittersweet breakup is well, life,” he says, with a glint of joy in his eyes. 

The politics in Max Min And Meowzaki are equally important. It goes on to discuss everyday politics, religious discrimination, body autonomy for women, youth protest in a regular everyday fashion, while focussing on intergenerational trauma, grief and moving on. Narasimhamurthy rejects the idea that Miyazaki’s films are escapist.

“Every Miyazaki film is political. Princess Mononoke is about nature and coexistence. Kiki’s Delivery Service has a feminist undertone. Spirited Away is about consumerism. They’re wrapped inside beautiful fairy tales, but they’re all saying something about the world,” he says, adding that he simply follows suit.

He admits he has never believed in separating his politics from his filmmaking. “I wear everything on my sleeve. My first film, A Billion Colour Story, came out during the lynching years because I had something I needed to say. My greatest fear is the division and suspicion that exists today. What is the need for all this hatred? Art is supposed to speak the conscience of humanity.”

That conviction, however, came at a price. Even this gentle, feel-good drama wasn’t spared. “I ran into censor problems with this film. There were lines I had to change. References to Muslims were removed. I even got a lesson in casteism during the process. It’s ironic. Here’s a film that’s fundamentally about kindness and healing, and we’re still afraid of conversations.”

The resurgence of AI-generated Ghibli-style artwork has only strengthened his belief that the industry is heading in the wrong direction. “I’m very against what AI is doing right now because it’s destroying lives, not just livelihoods. AI isn’t creating original work. It’s making mathematical combinations of everything that already exists. What happens to the musician who’s spent a lifetime mastering an instrument? What happens to writers? It’s not just eroding art, it’s eroding readership.”

He believes preserving the work of masters like Miyazaki is an ethical responsibility. “We should be using technology to remove human drudgery, not replace human creativity.” His own film reflects that philosophy. Therapy, forgiveness, broken relationships and complicated family dynamics all emerge naturally instead of being reduced to dramatic plot devices.

“We’ve all been somebody’s toxic boyfriend or toxic partner. We’ve all had toxic partners. Then you grow up and realize it didn’t have to be that bitter. Therapy teaches you to forgive yourself and everyone else. You just keep trying to do life a little better, parenting a little better, loving a little better. That’s what this film is about.”

The filmmaker says one of his biggest challenges today is simply finding backing for stories that choose empathy over spectacle. “I make films that feel good but still ask difficult questions. Financing them has become harder and harder. Then I see films full of misogyny getting massive budgets. That’s disillusioning. But I’m a writer. I’m a dreamer. I’ll keep making these stories. If you call out a little dissidence in society, what’s wrong with that? Art is meant to speak the conscience of humanity.”

But does it have a nod from the master himself? After making the film, Narasimhamurthy even tried to reach Miyazaki himself. “We screened the film in Osaka and reached out to Studio Ghibli because I wanted Mr Miyazaki to watch it. That’s all. We aren’t borrowing his work; we’re celebrating everything he stands for. We couldn’t reach him, but I hope someday he watches it.”

For Narasimhamurthy, Max Min And Meowzaki is far from an attempt to recreate Studio Ghibli in Hindi. It’s an attempt to revive something far more elusive. “I feel like I’m hugging people with this film. That’s all I wanted to do,” he signs off.

For as long as he has been a film-maker, there is one story Honey Trehan has wanted to tell above all.

Growing up in the Indian state of Punjab, Trehan saw firsthand the devastation wrought by police who carried out tens of thousands of killings and illegal cremations in the 1990s, as they cracked down on a separatist insurgency. To those in Punjab, the period remains one of the darkest in India’s modern history. Jaswant Singh Khalra, the activist who exposed the crimes and was murdered in the process, is a national hero.

By 2022, Trehan’s movie about Khalra and the crimes of Punjab police was completed under the title Ghallughara – a reference to a historical massacre of Sikhs – but the film would never reach Indian cinemas.

For more than three years, India’s film censorship board, which must approve all cinematic releases, blocked the film from release. When it was finally launched straight to a streaming platform last week, under a new title, Satluj, it was taken down within 48 hours and banned on government orders as a threat to national security.

Trehan describes the ordeal of trying to get Satluj released as “dystopian” and decries “undemocratic censorship” and alleged political interference under the Narendra Modi government re-shaping India’s film industries. He claims Indian cinema has been widely co-opted as a propaganda arm for the government’s rightwing, religious nationalist agenda, where there is “only room for one kind of story to be told”, particularly in mainstream Hindi films.

“It is clear to me that there is no creative freedom in India today,” says Trehan. “When you see the level of censorship happening, films getting blocked by the film board and banned from release, it makes you question: does democracy exist in this country any more?”

Even today, discussions of Punjab’s separatist movement – which raged in the 1980s and 1990s, fighting for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan, before it was crushed by the state – remain highly sensitive for the Modi government.

A ministry of information committee backed the ban on Satluj on the grounds that it lacked “balance” and had “whitewashed” the acts of Punjabi separatist militants, with the potential to incite national security issues.

“Show Muslims in a bad light and your film will get a standing ovation in the parliament,” says Trehan. “But if you dare to try and tell an uncomfortable part of our history, suddenly you are a criminal and a threat to national security.”

Trehan is not the first Indian film-maker to fall foul of India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in recent years. The body is legally mandated to be independent, but it has faced growing accusations by those in the industry of pushing an agenda aligned with the Hindu nationalist politics of the Modi government. The CBFC has not responded to the allegation and was not available for comment.

“From what I’ve experienced, the film board is hand in glove with the government,” says Trehan. “They are being used as a backdoor entry to control the narrative of the film industry.”

Film-makers have complained of an opaque process in which films that make any reference to government oppression, certain religions, police brutality or caste violence are blocked by censors or face demands to make impossible cuts. Filmmakers have even been told to cut images of meat in films, to avoid offending Hindus.

There is no official figure for the number of films that have languished due to censor demands. One recent example was Santosh, which debuted at Cannes to acclaim but was blocked by the CBFC for its negative portrayal of police. Writers and directors privately acknowledge that self-censorship has become a norm in the industry in order to ensure their movies get a cinema release, and not lose huge sums in profits.

Meanwhile, Bollywood films with an alleged pro-government slant such as The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story, which some have accused of telling a highly distorted version of historical events – and of fuelling Islamophobia and Hindu-Muslim division – have sailed past the board and been backed with government tax breaks and promotion.

Anna M M Vetticad, an Indian film journalist who has written about censorship, said that the treatment of Satluj encapsulated what many film-makers now have to endure.

She described a culture where film-makers were reprimanded by the censor board for realistic portrayals of social oppression or for simply “showing India in a bad light”.

“The goal is to create an atmosphere of fear and encourage self-censorship among those who have not boarded the rightwing bandwagon,” says Vetticad. “The effect on Indian cinema is potentially devastating.”

Trehan says few in the industry are willing to be as vocal as him, fearing retribution. “I know many other filmmakers who have faced similar issues but we lack unity as an industry. Most people are too worried about speaking out, especially because there is often a lot of money and careers at stake. If you criticize, suddenly a police case could be filed against you.”

In total, CBFC demanded 127 cuts to Trehan’s film, some of which appeared impossible for him to execute. As well as changing the name, the censors wanted the removal of all mention of Punjab police, the killings, government, the crematoriums where the bodies were illegally burned, the name of a former prime minister, the dates the events took place, images of the Indian flag and any scenes that showed the police in a “bad light”. They even requested the removal of Khalra’s name and a scene showing his murder inside a police station – an incident of historical record.

Trehan was particularly concerned by an insistence that he change the name of Trilokpuri – a real area in Delhi where Sikhs were massacred in the 1980s – to the invented name of “Khanpuri”, which is a name associated with Muslims. “This incident had nothing to do with Muslims, so why change to this name?” says Trehan. “You could clearly see them trying to insert their Hindu-Muslim political agenda into each and every film.”

The censors also questioned whether the film was really based on true events, prompting Trehan to hand them a file of more than 1,800 pages of research, including witness statements and court testimony.

Trehan says that “afterwards one of the people on the board said to me: ‘To my surprise, it’s a true story. But Mr Trehan, I want to ask you one thing. Who speaks the truth so loudly in today’s time?’”

As Trehan continued to be stonewalled by the CBFC, he eventually opted for a digital-only release earlier this month which does not require censor approval. He never thought the government would go as far as immediately banning the film, describing the effect as “chilling”.

He says that far from provoking a “law and order situation” in Punjab, Satluj has in fact brought communities in the state together. Since it was banned, guerilla screenings have been held across Punjab and surrounding states in village squares, gurdwaras, schools, community halls and fields, sometimes with thousands turning out. “It’s become a revolutionary act to watch it,” says Trehan.

At an event this month in remembrance of Khalra’s 1995 disappearance, people gathered on the banks of the Sutlej River in Punjab – where police are believed to have dumped his body and many others – and families of victims protested against the banning of the film.

Ranjit Singh, 38, was three years old when his father was tortured to death by police. “This film is, for me, an archive of him – of the injustices he bore on his body,” says Singh. “It may be the only archive that all this happened. I cried for days after watching it.”

The release and subsequent takedown of ‘Satluj’ from Zee5 may have a ripple effect on OTT films. Discussions are said to be underway within the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) about amending the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and requiring films premièring on streamers to obtain certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

This comes seven months after the I&B Ministry had informed the Parliament that OTT platforms would continue to be regulated under the IT Rules.

A source told mid-day, “At present, films released directly on OTT platforms are not required to secure the CBFC certification, unlike theatrical releases. Under the new proposal, a film would not be permitted to stream in India until the certification process is complete.”

According to sources, another idea being considered is to have the CBFC examine not all, but those films whose certification proceedings remain pending.

The source added, “One proposal is to ensure that if a film has been submitted for certification, like ‘Satluj’ was, it cannot stream unless the matter has been resolved.” The discussions are at an early stage. mid-day reached out to the CBFC, which didn’t respond till press time.

- Currently, OTT content falls under the purview of the IT Rules, 2021

- Content is classified based on age groups

- Streamers have a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism, with the first level being self-regulation by the platform. An independent body forms the second tier, while Inter-Departmental Committee oversees the final tier

Just about 48 hours. That’s how long Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj, formerly titled Punjab '95, was available for streaming in India before it was pulled down from ZEE5 on the evening of July 5, even as it remained accessible overseas. Sources have told mid-day that the takedown decision came after the government apparently flagged the film — a biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra — citing threats to national security.

Satluj chronicles how Khalra investigated the extrajudicial killings of Sikh youths during the Punjab insurgency between 1984 and 1995. Sources revealed that authorities were concerned that the film could be used to revive separatist sentiment in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections in November.

An insider said, “The concern is the environment in which the film is releasing. There is a feeling that certain groups could weaponize the film to further their own agenda. The assessment has been made from a national security perspective, not a political one. With Punjab heading towards elections, the authorities are not willing to take chances.” 

Despite the latest takedown, director Honey Trehan’s movie — that was stuck in a years-long battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — continues to circulate online. During a recent Instagram Live, Dosanjh acknowledged that users were downloading the film through torrent websites. 

Shortly afterwards, an X account user told mid-day that over 5000 people had downloaded the movie through their link. “It started with over 300 downloads, but now there are over 5000 downloads of our print,” said the user. 

- On the first viewing in 2022, the CBFC sought 21 cuts. The makers approached the Bombay High Court 

- In July 2024, mid-day reported that the CBFC’s list of cuts had risen to 85

- By September 2024, it sharply rose to over 120

- In January 2025, mid-day reported how the makers unsuccessfully tried a global release for the biopic

Four years after Punjab '95 was stopped in its tracks over objections from the censor board, Honey Trehan was finally breathing easy on Saturday morning when we got on a call with him. His film, now streaming on ZEE5 as Satluj, had arrived without a single cut.

For the filmmaker, it marks the end of a battle that often seemed impossible to win.

In his first interview since the film's release, Trehan told mid-day that there were moments when even he wasn't convinced the film would eventually see the light of day "Even till yesterday afternoon, I wasn't sure if the film would come out," he says with a laugh. "We've reached this point so many times before that I had stopped allowing myself to believe it. I kept telling myself, 'Let it go, let it go.' Then suddenly, it was just there."

The release, he says, belongs as much to the family of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra as it does to the makers. "I spoke to them immediately. They are very, very happy. It was important because we didn't get the title Punjab '95. Naturally, people assumed the film must have been released with cuts. Paramjit aunty herself clarified that this is the same film. Hundreds of people who had watched the earlier version are now saying Satluj is exactly the same film."

For Trehan, that validation mattered more than anything else. "I'm getting messages from IPS officers in Punjab asking, 'The film is without cuts, right?' They are excited to finally watch it. That means a lot."

The director admits he was initially worried that the four-year delay would burden the film with impossible expectations. "I actually felt the opposite happened. These three years became three years of publicity. Punjab '95 had become much bigger than the film itself. My only anxiety before release was whether I could live up to what people had built in their minds. But the response has been overwhelming. Every reaction has become memorable."

Trehan credits producer Ronnie Screwvala, Diljit Dosanjh and ZEE5 for refusing to compromise. "The way Ronnie sir and Diljit stood by me and stood by the film... I can't thank them enough. And what courage ZEE has shown. Hats off to them. They simply dropped the trailer, posters and the film together. There was no release date, no countdown, nothing. It was just — streaming now. I've never seen anything like that."

Throughout the film's uncertain journey, Dosanjh remained firmly behind the project, says Trehan. Recalling how the actor came on board, he says their relationship dates back to Udta Punjab. "Even before I told him I wanted to make a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, he immediately said, 'There's only one story from Punjab worth making if it isn't about 1984'. I showed him my research book. He looked at Mr Khalra's photograph, picked up the book, placed it on his forehead and simply said, 'Waheguru ji... tell me when and where to come. You'll find me there'."

That commitment, Trehan says, never wavered. "There were days when he reported at six in the morning and I couldn't take his first shot until four in the evening because schedules had gone haywire. I kept apologizing. Every single time he would tell me, 'Paaji, no problem. Whatever you're doing, you're doing for the film. I'm here to support the film.'"

The filmmaker also recounts how Dosanjh recently waited nearly an hour for an Instagram Live session promoting the film despite repeated technical glitches. "He waited for almost 50 minutes. We couldn't connect because of technical issues. Finally, someone got us connected. It wasn't about publicity. Somewhere, both of us felt we would connect. That's the kind of person he is."

Even today, Trehan says he doesn't know who exactly objected to Punjab '95. "If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don't know. I don't have a face. I don't have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers."

He reveals that communication from the censor board effectively stopped earlier this year, forcing the makers to find another route. "There came a point when there was simply no communication anymore. After everything we'd gone through, there was nothing left to discuss. That's when ZEE stepped in and made this release possible."

Yet, despite the years of uncertainty, he refuses to hold grudges. "I've never been bitter. Sometimes you feel hurt emotionally because you're not getting answers. But I also remind myself that I'm talking about one film. The people running the country have much bigger responsibilities. Sometimes there must have been helplessness. I respect the people and the positions they hold."

He points out that every legal body and community organization that watched the film responded positively. "The SGPC watched the film. The Akal Takht committee watched the film. Everywhere I went, the response was overwhelming. Today the film is available across 196 countries on ZEE5 and all I'm receiving is love. So where exactly was the problem?"

Trehan also responded to Diljit Dosanjh's recent assertion that he is "not political, but an artiste". Without commenting on the actor's statement, the director says art inevitably exists alongside politics. "Art can be different from the politics of the time you're living in. Otherwise your art cannot be truthful. Everything today becomes political."

He insists Satluj was never designed to make a political argument. "We're only talking about human rights. We're not commenting on the politics of that period. We're talking about what happens when extraordinary powers are placed in the hands of a few people. That's a human issue, not a political one."

Trehan believes that is why audiences across generations are responding to the film. "Someone messaged me saying this film doesn't reopen wounds; it heals them. That stayed with me. People feel somebody has finally told their story. That's probably the greatest compliment I've received."

At the time of going to press, ‘Satluj’ had been made unavailable on ZEE5 in India.

Statement by Zee5 “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. 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. 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. Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering.”

After years of delays and censorship-related hurdles, Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Punjab '95 has finally been released under a new title. The film, now called Satluj, quietly dropped on OTT on Friday. Based on the life and death of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Honey Trehan directorial was originally slated for release last year but remained stuck amid certification issues.

During an Instagram Live session on Friday, Diljit clarified that while the title has changed, the film itself remains untouched. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the original title for certain reasons... But there are absolutely no cuts in the film. The version I watched in theatres two years ago is exactly the same one I watched at home last week. If even a single cut had been made, I would not have promoted the film,” he said.

Trehan echoed the sentiment, revealing that Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, had also confirmed that the released version remains unchanged. “Paramjit aunty also shared a post about the film and said this is the very same version she had watched earlier. Only the title has changed,” he said.

Trehan added, “Everything I objected to, every word I refused to cut or mute, is still there in the film.”

The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Surinder Vicky, Varun Badola and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

It earned accolades, standing ovations, and executive produced by Hollywood’s creme de la creme, yet remained unseen in India for six months. Director Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice Of Hind Rajab finally opened in cinemas on Friday (June 19) across 80 screens in India. While the film hasn’t secured a wide release or packed halls from day one, distributor Manoj Nandwana says the initial response has been encouraging, with interest emerging from unexpected corners of the country.

Nandwana says curiosity around the movie is steadily building despite its limited release. He urges people to judge the film after watching it rather than relying on what is written about it.

“See what message the film is trying to give. Even foreign ministry officials who watched it before the Central Board of Film Certification [CBFC] screening, said that it was a completely different film from what they had expected,” he shares.

The distributor believes younger audiences are driving the interest, especially in smaller towns. In Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, a group of nearly “100 people approached a theatre because they wanted to watch the film”.

Calls from Nagpur also pleasantly surprised him, considering it is a foreign-language film. “In Chennai, a few shows are already houseful. A lot of people between 15 and 30 years of age are returning to cinemas. That’s a good sign for the industry,” adds Nandwana.

The 2025 docudrama traces the real-life tragedy of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl trapped in a bullet-riddled car in Gaza City, surrounded by he dead relatives.

Mumbai: Film producers and distributors fear tighter release schedules and greater uncertainty after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting discontinued the Central Board of Film Certification’s ‘Tatkal’ or priority certification scheme.

The withdrawal of the fast-track system – which allowed filmmakers to get CBFC certification within 10-15 days by paying a premium – from June 1 could aggravate delays in film clearances, already worsened by the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in 2021, industry executives said.

It could particularly affect multilingual releases, last-minute edits and films locked into fixed theatrical windows, while increasing legal and operational uncertainty for producers, they said.

“The impact will be felt most by independent producers and regional films, where production timelines are often compressed and release windows are highly competitive,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.

Executives said the absence of both FCAT and the Tatkal route could slow dispute resolution, forcing producers into prolonged litigation and making release schedules harder to predict.

The ministry had floated a public consultation in February proposing discontinuation of the priority scheme before formally withdrawing it from June 1 through the notification of the Cinematograph (Certification) Amendment Rules, 2026, on May 20.

Some regional producers and industry veterans welcomed the move, saying the priority system had long disproportionately benefited large studios and influential production houses, often disrupting release plans of smaller producers who finalise theatrical windows months in advance.

“Situation becomes chaotic when big producers release films without advance communication,” said Naveen Chandra, founder of 91 Film Studios. “This disturbs the release schedule of films which have been planned months in advance.”

He said the growing volume of films requiring certification had made the priority system increasingly difficult to sustain.

“India’s long-term average suggests that nearly 1,800 films are produced annually across languages, amounting to almost five films a day. Besides this, there are festival films in sizeable numbers,” Chandra said. “It is not possible to physically watch films on a Tatkal basis and remain objective.”

Distributors highlighted practical challenges in certifying big-budget films, noting that Indian filmmakers, including big directors, often re-shoot and work on visual effects until just days before a film’s release.

“Unlike in the West, where studios plan films well in advance, one hardly sees big directors presenting full films to CBFC one month prior to release,” said Shaaminder Malik, film distributor and trade analyst.

The ministry, while proposing discontinuation of the scheme, had argued that routine use had diluted its intended purpose and created a “two-tier certification system” where applicants with deeper pockets secured faster clearances.

Government data tabled in parliament showed CBFC-certified theatrical films rose to 2,687 in FY25 from 2,031 in FY22. The ministry said average certification timelines for feature films currently stand at 18 working days against the prescribed 48 working days under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.

Mumbai: Producer Pahlaj Nihalani died at age 76 Thursday, reportedly of a liver ailment. He had produced successful films like ‘Ilzaam’ and ‘Aag Hi Aag’ which introduced actors Govinda and Chunky Panday respectively.

Nihalani’s first venture was ‘Haathkadi’ (1982) featuring Reena Roy’s song ‘Disco Station’, followed by ‘Aandhi Toofan’, ‘Paap Ki Duniya’, ‘Aankhen’, ‘Gunaahon Ka Faisla’, ‘Mitti Aur Sona’ and ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’.

He was also president of the (former) Association of Pictures and TV Programme Producers for 29 years.

Nihalani courted controversies during his tenure as chairman of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2015 until his eventual sacking in 2017. His criticism of certain artistes raised concern, and his 98 edits of ‘Udta Punjab’ were defeated after the makers approached court. Critics said Nihalani’s moralistic stand over the depiction of Indian culture in cinema contrasted with bold portrayals and songs in his own films like ‘Andaz’ and ‘Julie 2’.

He is survived by his wife and three sons. The last rites were performed at Santacruz crematorium where Govinda arrived to pay respects.

He said, “Nihalani ji was like a foundation stone for many of us. Several artists, including me, who rose from impoverished backgrounds, received his support and encouragement. He shaped the careers of at least one dozen artistes. He had a rare ability to identify talent and help people rise to the skies of fame.”

CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “The news of the demise of renowned film producer and former CBFC Pahlaj Nihalani is heartbreaking. His contribution to the film industry will be remembered forever. With his passing, the film world has lost an experienced personality.”