Gul Panag reacts to Satluj removal from ZEE5: ‘Don’t stop telling difficult stories’

Actor Gul Panag has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the removal of Satluj from ZEE5, saying India should not shy away from revisiting difficult chapters of its history. In a strongly worded post on X, Panag argued that while films can and should be debated, banning them is never the answer.

Her comments come days after Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh and inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was pulled from ZEE5 in India less than 48 hours after its release.

Recalling her childhood in Punjab during the years of militancy, Gul Panag said she witnessed both terrorist violence and alleged human rights violations, making it all the more important that such stories continue to be told.

“I grew up in Punjab during the brutal years of militancy. I remember reading newspaper headlines about buses being stopped and innocent passengers being pulled out and killed. I also remember accounts of young men being picked up, detained and tortured, despite having nothing to do with the movement. Including from my village,” she wrote.

Panag said those experiences shaped her belief that difficult periods of history should not be erased from public discourse.

“Those memories are precisely why I don’t believe we should become so uncomfortable with difficult chapters of our history that we stop telling stories about them.”

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

Story continues below this ad

‘A film isn’t a history textbook’

The actor also stressed that films present one perspective and should be open to public discussion rather than censorship.

“A film isn’t a history textbook. It tells a story through one lens and one perspective. Debate it. Critique it. Counter it. Banning it is always counterproductive.”

Gul Panag concluded by saying Punjab’s rejection of separatism should not be viewed as so fragile that a single film could undo it.

“But don’t assume Punjab’s hard-won rejection of separatism is so fragile that a film can reverse it!!”

Story continues below this ad

About Satluj

Satluj, previously titled Punjab 95, is inspired by the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank clerk who emerged as one of Punjab’s leading human rights activists after investigating the alleged cremation of around 25,000 unidentified bodies between 1984 and 1994. The film traces 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.

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

Why was Satluj removed from ZEE5?

After remaining unreleased for nearly four years, Satluj quietly premiered on ZEE5 on July 3. However, the film was taken down from the streaming platform in India less than 48 hours later, with reports claiming that the Centre directed ZEE5 to remove it over “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

According to PTI, the makers had originally submitted the film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 under its original title, Punjab 95. The certification process stalled after they declined to implement the 127 cuts suggested by the board.

Story continues below this ad

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.”

Industry rallies behind the film

The takedown has prompted reactions from several members of the film fraternity. The film’s screenwriter Niren Bhatt questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the decision and said the makers would challenge it in court, maintaining that Satluj is “a human rights story.”

Director Honey Trehan, meanwhile, said he still does not know who objected to the film during its prolonged certification battle. After the takedown, co-producer Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies confirmed that the government had directed the film’s removal from ZEE5 while expressing hope that it would return to the platform soon. Actor Kanwaljit Singh also criticised the move, questioning the state of freedom of speech in the country and revealing that the makers are planning to move court over the decision.