Anurag Kashyap has been vocal about the ban on Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj. Recently, the filmmaker alleged that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, objected to the film before even watching it.
‘He hadn’t seen the film’
Speaking on stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s YouTube channel, Anurag shared that the film’s director, Honey Trehan, had told him about the certification process and how Joshi objected to the film before seeing it. “Honey says Prasoon Joshi had objections with the film. He hadn’t seen the film. I know, in other cases also, the chairman doesn’t see the film,” he said.
The filmmaker further claimed that the CBFC chairperson does not always personally watch films and sometimes relies solely on reports submitted by members of the Examining Committee. “On the basis of that report, an arbitrary decision can be made. So, the film has been arbitrarily withdrawn. When I last spoke to Honey, he hasn’t been given any clear reasons,” he said.
Anurag went on to question Prasoon’s silence over recent censorship controversies. Anurag questioned Joshi for not giving any explanation on all the films being stopped from releasing and remaining silent.
About Satluj controversy
Satluj, previously titled Punjab 95, was originally slated for a theatrical release. However, after a three-year-long battle with the CBFC, the film was quietly released on Zee5 on July 3. Within two days, by July 5, the film was removed from the streaming platform.
The OTT platform later released a statement addressing the takedown. A portion of it read: “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.”
Director Honey Trehan recently told The Indian Express that neither he nor the producers were directly contacted before the film was taken down. “I did not get any calls from them. I had nothing to do. Neither my producers nor I got any calls. But Zee5 got a letter from the (I&B) Ministry to stop the film,” Trehan said.
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