Diljit Dosanjh starer Satluj has sparked widespread discussion after it was removed from ZEE5 in India just two days after its release and the film, which was originally titled Ghallughara and later renamed Punjab '95 was released on ZEE5 on July 3, 2026 however, on July 5 the streaming platform removed it for viewers in India and as of now the film is currently unavailable on ZEE5 India but continues to stream on ZEE5 Global for audiences outside the country.
As of now, no detailed official reason has been provided for the removal and in its statement, ZEE5 said the film had been taken down due to "current developments" and the platform added that it is following "due process" and hopes to restore the film on the service soon.
ZEE5 also thanked viewers for their overwhelming response to the film and the platform described Satluj as an authentic and meaningful story and said it stands by the vision of the filmmakers, added that while the film has "paused," it hopes to bring it back in the near future but at this stage, there is no official confirmation that the film has been banned by the government or removed because of a court order.
Satluj is a biographical drama based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra who was one of Punjab's most well-known human rights activists and the film tells the story of Khalra's investigation into allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Punjab's militancy period and it follows his efforts to uncover the truth and seek justice for families who claimed their relatives had disappeared. The film focuses on themes of justice, accountability and human rights.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a former bank manager who later became a human rights activist and during the 1990s and he investigated records that allegedly showed thousands of unidentified bodies had been cremated without informing their families, claimed that official records pointed to large numbers of illegal cremations linked to people who had disappeared during the insurgency in Punjab.
A subsequent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation concluded that Punjab Police personnel were involved in his kidnapping and murder and later in 2007, four police officials were sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the case.
The story deals with one of the most sensitive periods in Punjab's history and the film portrays allegations of state excesses and human rights violations during the militancy era because of this subject matter, it has remained controversial for several years and has faced repeated certification and legal challenges before reaching audiences and the controversy is linked to the film's subject rather than any officially confirmed legal finding against the film itself.
The film has had a difficult path to release as it was first developed under the title Ghallughara. Later, it was renamed Punjab '95. Before its release on ZEE5, it received its final title, Satluj. he film was involved in a prolonged certification dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and according to the filmmakers, the CBFC sought 127 cuts before certification, an unusually high number for a feature film.
The filmmakers challenged the certification process before the Bombay High Court. However, they later withdrew the case and because of the certification issues, the film's release was delayed for around three years. It was also scheduled for a theatrical release on February 7, 2025, but that release did not take place. Instead, the film finally premiered directly on ZEE5 on July 3, 2026.
The film had earlier been selected for screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 however, before the scheduled premiere, the screening was withdrawn and according to the producers, the withdrawal happened after intervention by Indian authorities. No official government statement explaining the withdrawal was issued at the time.
Following the film's removal from ZEE5 India, Diljit Dosanjh shared a clip from Satluj on social media and in his post where he wrote that the film had faced the same fate as Jaswant Singh Khalra, suggesting that both had been silenced and he also used the hashtag #IChallengeTheDarkness to share his side.