The film based on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra was pulled off streaming within 48 hours, and no one is officially saying why
After nearly four years of delays, court battles, and censorship troubles, Satluj — starring Diljit Dosanjh and directed by Honey Trehan finally reached audiences on ZEE5 on July 3, 2026. But the relief didn’t last long. By July 5, the film was gone from the platform, leaving viewers, cast members, and even the filmmakers themselves confused.
What is Satluj about?
The film is based on the real story of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank employee who became a human rights activist during Punjab’s insurgency years in the 1980s and 90s. Khalra investigated claims that thousands of young Sikh men had been secretly killed and cremated without their families ever being told. He eventually found records of thousands of unclaimed bodies at cremation grounds in Amritsar. Soon after going public with his findings, Khalra himself disappeared in 1995. He was later confirmed to have been abducted and killed, and several Punjab police officials were eventually convicted for his murder.
A four-year fight just to release the film
The movie was originally called Ghallughara, then renamed Punjab ’95, before finally releasing as Satluj. It couldn’t get a theatrical release because India’s film certification board reportedly asked for over a hundred cuts and changes, including removing references to Khalra and toning down scenes showing police violence. The filmmakers even briefly took the film to Bombay High Court to fight the demands legally, before eventually withdrawing the petition.
Since streaming platforms don’t need certification board approval the way theatrical releases do, the makers decided to skip cinemas altogether and release Satluj directly on ZEE5 with almost no promotion, according to Dosanjh, because of how uncertain things still felt.
Why was it removed?
ZEE5 didn’t give a clear reason, saying only that the film would stay unavailable in India “until further notice” because of unspecified “developments.” According to a government official quoted by PTI, the takedown order came because of security concerns and rules under the Information Technology Act that apply to streaming platforms.
Screenwriter Niren Bhatt, in comments to Variety India, didn’t hold back, he said, “it was clear someone in a position of power had stepped in, and that the makers had faced years of silence with no explanation of what exactly was found objectionable about the film.”
Actor Kanwaljit Singh, who plays a senior police officer in the film, also reacted strongly. Speaking to the Free Press Journal, he questioned the takedown and said, “the makers plan to challenge the decision in court.”
For now, Satluj is officially unavailable to Indian audiences, even though many people managed to watch or download it during its brief 48-hour window online. The filmmakers, according to cast members, are preparing to take legal action, though nothing has been officially filed yet as of this writing. Neither the CBFC nor the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued a public statement explaining the decision.
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