‘What is this freedom of speech?’: Kanwaljit Singh reacts to Satluj being pulled from ZEE5

Actor Kanwaljit Singh, who plays a senior police officer in Honey Trehan’s Satluj, a character many believe is inspired by former Punjab DGP KPS Gill, has reacted to the film’s sudden removal from ZEE5 just two days after its release. Questioning the state of freedom of speech in the country, the veteran actor said the makers are planning to move court to challenge the decision. The Honey Trehan-directed political drama, which finally premiered on the streaming platform after being delayed for nearly four years, was taken down without any official explanation from ZEE5.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Kanwaljit said he had spoken to director Honey Trehan soon after the film was pulled from the platform.

“I spoke to Honey after the film was taken down, and he said they shall be taking the matter to court. But what I don’t understand is why they had to take it off. Even people who weren’t going to watch it will want to watch it now. It has also been downloaded by so many people, so even though lots of people will be watching it, the producers will lose out. But I want to ask, what is this freedom of speech? Tell me, I really want to know. That right is being strangled,” he said.

Speaking separately to IANS, Kanwaljit Singh admitted he was taken aback by the film’s removal after its long and difficult journey to release.

“I was shocked because it was like that for 2.5-3 years, the case went on. I really admire my director and the producer, Honey and Ronnie, that they stuck to their guns and they never succumbed to the pressure, outside pressure. When it was said that 127 cuts were given and you can send it to Canada, all of a sudden it was pulled back from the Canada Film Festival. This has been happening with the film for a long time. Eventually, when they said that you should release it, what are you afraid of? What backlash will there be? Time heals a lot of wounds and after that it is just left to talk—you can talk and sort out something. No one retaliates like this after so long,” he said.

ALSO READ: Satluj: A cop blew the whistle on Jaswant Singh Khalra’s torture, death; he was then killed

On playing a character believed to be inspired by KPS Gill

Kanwaljit also addressed speculation surrounding his role in Satluj, which many viewers believe is based on former Punjab DGP KPS Gill.

Story continues below this ad

“People are assuming that I’m playing Gill. However, the brief I followed was to study clippings of different DGPs and police chiefs. I also have a friend who is a retired DGP, with whom I discussed how the character should be,” he clarified.

The veteran actor also spoke about what drew him to the project.

“First of all, it was the first time I was doing such a ruthless man. I had done it once, but that wasn’t as ruthless. It was interesting when I was told that I’d be doing a certain person… A story being told, which is true and has never been mentioned, is part of our history. That’s why I got interested,” he told IANS.

About Satluj

Satluj, previously titled Punjab 95, is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who became one of Punjab’s leading human rights activists after investigating the alleged cremation of around 25,000 unidentified bodies in the state between 1984 and 1994. The film follows the events leading up to his abduction in 1995. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted of Khalra’s abduction and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Story continues below this ad

Starring Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, the film is produced by Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala under the banners of MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP. It also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles.

Why was Satluj removed from ZEE5?

Satluj premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after remaining unreleased for nearly four years but was removed from the platform just two days later. Reports claimed that the Centre directed ZEE5 to take down the film, citing “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

According to PTI, the makers had applied for CBFC certification in 2022 under the original title Punjab 95. However, the certification process stalled after they declined to implement the 127 cuts suggested by the board.

A government official told PTI, “They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government’s notice, ZEE was asked to take the film down. The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and on OTT, they should follow the laid-down norms.”