After arriving on Zee5 this Friday, Honey Trehan’s much-talked-about film Satluj was unceremoniously removed from the platform on Sunday. The film, which stars Diljit Dosanjh as the late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been in the making for over four years, including an over-three-year battle with the censors and two title changes. And now, days after its belated release, it is again battling for eyeballs. But what is the film about and what makes it so controversial? We unpack that:
What is Satluj about? Why Panjab 95?
Satluj is a biographical drama that was earlier titled Panjab 95. It is about the life and death of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who became the leading human rights activist in Punjab in the mid 90s after his investigation into the cremation of 25000 people in the state between 1984 and 1994. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh as Khalra alongside Geetika Vidya Ohlan, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, and Kanwaljit Singh. The film is based on real incidents and fictionalises some real figures to weave a story about the dark side of the Punjab Police’s war against the insurgency in the state in the 80s and 90s.
Why is Satluj so controversial?
In 2022, the film was launched with the title Ghallughara, a term used to describe the historical massacres of Sikhs. In November that year, after it was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the board demanded the title be changed to Panjab 95 and suggested 21 cuts. The concerns were that the film shows the administration in a bad light. The makers challenged the cuts in the Bombay High Court, which sent the matter to the revision committee. The committee demanded a staggering 120 cuts. Eventually, after nearly four years of legal battles, the film got a quiet release on Zee5 this Friday under a new title – Satluj. Diljit Dosanjh said on Instagram Live that the film’s team opted against promotions because they feared the release would be delayed if they promoted or publicised it.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
The core of Satluj is Khalra’s allegations against the Punjab Police, mainly that personnel in the force conducted thousands of extrajudicial killings. Khalra named the then-Punjab DGP KPS Gill as responsible for it and even challenged him to a live debate. He raised the issue internationally, speaking in the Canadian House of Commons as well. The film shows all this, albeit changing KPS Gill’s name to IPS Bitta and also slightly fictionalising the assassination of Punjab CM Beant Singh (Anant Singh in the film).
Khalra was abducted in 1995 and allegedly killed in the same year. His body was never found. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for his abduction and murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced their sentence to life imprisonment. The film details Khalra’s abduction at the hands of Punjab Police personnel and even shows him being tortured and killed in custody.
The film also has similarities in how the investigation into his disappearance and murder progressed. It shows SSP Sugga (Suvinder Vicky) dying in what appears to be a suicide, similar to how SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu, a key accused in the case, died in 1997. Amnesty International claimed Sandhu was murdered and the death was staged as a suicide.
What did Zee5 say?
On Sunday evening, two days after Satluj dropped on the platform, Zee5 announced that it was no longer available in India. “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. 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,” the statement said.
Hours later, director Honey Trehan shared the statement on Instagram Stories with a short message in Punjabi: ‘Tera bhana meetha lage (God’s will seems sweet).’ Bhana is a Punjabi word that loosely translates to divine command or fate, something that God has Himself willed. The message of hope was punctuated by a folded hands emoji. The film’s lead, Diljit Dosanjh, was more philosophical in his reaction, comparing the shadow ban to Khalra’s disappearance and killing.
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