Banned in India, Satluj triggers record 374% surge in ZEE5’s overseas app downloads

4 min readNew DelhiJul 7, 2026 03:08 PM IST

Diljit Dosanjh in a still from Satluj.

Diljit Dosanjh’s long-delayed film Satluj may have disappeared from ZEE5 in India within 48 hours of its release, but its brief availability appears to have delivered a massive boost to the streaming platform overseas. The film has reportedly drove a record surge in international downloads of the ZEE5 app.

The film, previously titled Panjab 95, premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after remaining unreleased for nearly four years. Inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, Satluj quickly generated buzz on social media before it was removed from the platform in India on July 5, citing “current developments.” Although it is no longer available in India, audiences in countries including the US, Canada and Australia continue to watch the film, while pirated copies have also surfaced online and are being widely shared.

Satluj drives record overseas ZEE5 downloads

According to NDTV, Satluj significantly boosted ZEE5’s international traffic. While the platform has not disclosed official figures, the report said monthly downloads of the app outside India rose by approximately 374 per cent after the film’s release.

“Although there was a clear increase in interest and traffic on ZEE5 after the release of Satluj, precise official figures showing how much app downloads increased are not publicly available. The platform has only stated that it received a tremendous response, but without official data, it is difficult to make any definitive comparison. However, I can say that, excluding India, monthly downloads of the app in overseas markets increased by approximately 374 per cent,” NDTV quoted its source as saying.

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Why was Satluj taken down?

The removal has once again put the spotlight on the film’s troubled journey. According to NDTV, concerns were raised that certain portions of the film could be “misused by anti-India forces.” Following the controversy, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) constituted a high-level interdepartmental committee to review the film’s content.

Screenwriter Niren Bhatt, who co-wrote the film with director Honey Trehan, questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the decision. Speaking to Variety India, Bhatt said it was evident that the platform had been asked to pause the film’s streaming and criticised the absence of any official communication explaining the objections despite the project remaining in limbo for years. He also confirmed that the makers intend to challenge the decision in court and are hopeful that the film will return to streaming after legal intervention.

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After the takedown, a spokesperson for co-producer Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies confirmed to SCREEN  that the government had directed the removal of the film from ZEE5 and expressed hope that Satluj would return to the platform soon.

Diljit Dosanjh also addressed the controversy during an Instagram Live session, revealing that the team had anticipated the possibility of the film being removed soon after its release. He said, ” “Lo kar lo block (block if you dare), everyone has the film downloaded. What will you do now? These people are either uneducated or innocent if they think they can remove anything from the internet.”

A four-year battle before release

The film’s release was delayed for years after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) proposed 127 cuts, including changing the protagonist’s name and removing several references to the Punjab Police. The makers refused to accept the suggested changes, arguing they would alter the film’s core message. The project also lost its scheduled premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 before finally arriving on ZEE5 earlier this month under the new title Satluj.

Before the film was removed from ZEE5, director Honey Trehan had admitted that he still did not know who had objected to the film over the past four years, saying all communication had come through lawyers or third parties.