Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj removed by government, confirms RSVP; actor predicted it Saturday

Honey Trehan’s period investigative thriller Satluj has been pulled down from ZEE5 in less than 48 hours since its sudden release on the OTT platform. Starring Diljit Dosanjh as late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the film was previously titled Punjab ’95. After a three year-long censorship battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it finally managed to release on streaming, only to be unceremoniously pulled down within two days.

A day after the release of Satluj, Diljit responded to fans’ questions on an Instagram Live session. During that segment, Diljit said cryptically in Punjabi, “See, our film has released. Where we want the conversation to reach, it’s bound to reach there. Those who haven’t watched it yet, do that as soon as you can. Just understand what I’m trying to say.”

When a fan asked if Satluj could be taken down ZEE5, Diljit admitted, “It can happen. There’s that fear. Today is Saturday. It could be pulled down by Monday. But let’s worry not. You can download the film till now. Those who want to stop the film can do that. Those who want to take panga can do that. There’s no tension.”

Responding to another fan, Diljit said, “The film has released directly on OTT without any promotions. When has that happened before? Of course, we’ve all made the film with so much effort. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t release in theatres. We obviously wanted that. There are a lot of things I can’t say. Honey showed the film to a lot of people and organizations overseas, but that didn’t help much either.”

Diljit also answered a fan’s query why Satluj has released on ZEE5, and not a bigger OTT platform like Netflix. “If I say some things, it won’t sit well with others. Don’t ask me any questions please. Just watch the film now,” added Diljit. While he was right about the fate of his film, even he couldn’t predict that Satluj would be taken down on Sunday itself.

Diljit Dosanjh said the government has been trying to silence Punjab’s voice since 1995, and even in 2026 it continues the same. He expressed relief that Satluj has reached everywhere, and everyone has already downloaded and they cannot silence #Satluj now. https://t.co/zmaLBJF2Jy pic.twitter.com/eY87P1qJN5

— r (@bekhayalime) July 6, 2026

Why was Satluj taken down?

When SCREEN reached out to co-producer, Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies, an official spokesperson confirmed, “The government has pulled it down.” However, they assured that the film would be streaming again, “hopefully soon”. Diljit also shared a clip from Satluj on his Instagram handle and wrote in Punjabi, “What happened to Satluj is exactly what had happened to Jaswant Singh Khalra.” While Honey hasn’t commented on the fresh setback directly, he and Diljit both reposted the official statement shared by ZEE5.

“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,” stated ZEE5. Since its removal on the platform, pirated versions of Satluj have been doing the rounds online.

Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

The journey from Punjab ’95 to Satluj

Despite the long censorship battle, the film released sans any cuts on ZEE5, with only the film title being changed from Punjab ’95 to Satluj. The film’s troubles started back in 2023, when days after announcing that it would premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Punjab ’95 was made to withdraw from that.

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Simultaneously, its India release was also stalled by the CBFC, which refused to grant it a certificate without 127 cuts. Even though CBFC certification isn’t required for an international film festival premiere, the makers were made to withdraw the film from TIFF. The 127 cuts included change in title and removal of references to Punjab among many others.

Satluj was previously titled Punjab ’95.

“I’m not against the cuts. I’m very happy to do even 150 cuts if they’re legitimate or being given to me by the court of law. But if any government or people in power say this doesn’t suit our politics, then it’s very subjective. I’d really wish my freedom of expression be protected, which seems very difficult in today’s times. Probably, it’s not a propaganda film. It doesn’t work in the favour of the sitting government,” Honey told SCREEN last year.

Even when he tried to object to the film’s certification process in the court, the makers were asked to even withdraw the case. The same happened when he tried to host private screenings of Punjab ’95 in Mumbai or release the film in cinemas internationally. “Those at the CBFC are definitely taking advantage of what they do. They’re misusing their power. They’re trying to please the sitting government so much that they’re trying to control the narrative,” said Honey.

After the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), filmmakers had no choice but to knock on the doors of the court if they didn’t agree with the CBFC examining and revising committees’ demands. “My producer (Screwvala) was pressurized — or a better word is, threatened — to pull out the case from Bombay High Court. If one isn’t even allowed to fight in the court, the government is taking power in their own hands by snatching my constitutional right. That’s ridiculous! You don’t know where to go in this kind of a scenario,” he claimed.

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Honey revealed that the trial proceedings were tilting in their favour right when Screwvala was threatened to withdraw the case. “The Lordship said the film should come out without a single cut because it’s based on legal documents,” said Honey, adding, “But that’s what happens with abuse of power. The arm-twisting never ends.”

Also Read — Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj removed from ZEE5: ‘The film will be unavailable in India’

What’s Satluj about?

Satluj revolves around the life and suspicious disappearance of Jaswant Singh Khalra, who brought to light the extrajudicial killings and cremation of over 25,000 people in Punjab with the involvement of the state police, in the 1990s. After an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation, several police officers were awarded life imprisonment for the abduction and murder of Khalra. Satluj is co-produced by RSVP Movies and Honey and Abhishek Chaubey’s production house Macguffin Pictures. Besides Diljit, it also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan among others.