'I Challenge the Darkness': Diljit Dosanjh Reacts to Takedown of 'Satluj'
New Delhi: Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh has condemned the removal of Satluj from the streaming platform Zee5's Indian catalogue, within 48 hours of the film's OTT release. Soon after the movie's takedown, Dosanjh took to social media to condemn the move, sharing a clip from the movie along with the message: "I challenge the darkness."
According to Times of India, the 42-year-old had previously hinted that movie could be made unavailable in India, urging viewers to download the movie while it was still streaming. In an Instagram live, he said, "Today is Saturday. I feel it could be taken down by Monday. But no worries, you download it."
On Monday (July 6), the actor-singer posted a 25-second-long clip on X showing an outdoor nighttime screening of Staluj in Rajasthan and with several children and adults sitting on mats and watching the movie on a big projector. Dosanjh wrote, "Hun Ni Rukni Film. Khalra Saab Di Avaaz Nu Koi Ni Dabaa Sakda (The film won't stop now. No one can suppress Khalra Saab's voice.)"
Hun Ni Rukni Film
Khalra Saab Di Avaaz Nu Koi Ni Dabaa Sakda
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) July 5, 2026
Previously, in an interview with Variety India, Dosanjh had described the movie as one of the most meaningful projects he has undertaken, saying,"Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra ji’s martyrdom and his contribution to humanity were the primary reasons I chose to be a part of this film. I felt a strong sense of responsibility towards the film and was committed to portraying such an inspiring character with truth, honesty, and utmost respect."
Zee5 confirms the movie's removal
Honey Trehan's Staluj, starring actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh and Arjun Rampal and documenting the life story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged extrajudicial killings and cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994, was taken down from Zee5's Indian catalogue on Sunday (July 5), while the movie remains available internationally on Zee5 Global.
Acknowledging the overwhelming response to the film and critical acclaim it drew, the platform affirmed that it stood firmly by the film's creative vision.
The statement read, "The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film…At Zee5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives."
The statement added: "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."
Satluj may have paused. But the conversation it started hasn’t.
Thank you for the incredible love.
We hope to bring it back soon.#Satluj pic.twitter.com/Ox3MZIBvlT— ZEE5Official (@ZEE5India) July 5, 2026
Political reactions to the film's removal
Staluj's removal from Zee5's India catalogue has sparked sharp political criticism from across party lines in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a post on X, called the takedown "an assault on our collective memory, truth and freedom of expression." Strongly condemning the move, Badal said Punjab must me allowed to confront its past honestly rather than suppress uncomfortable histories.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also called out the decision, alleging that the film highlights recorded human rights violations and arguing that its subject matter aligns with judicial findings related to the Jaswant Singh Khalra case. He urged authorities to ensure that the film is restored on the platform for public viewing.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Malvinder Singh Kang questioned the inconsistency in availability of political sensitive films of streaming platforms, pointing at titles featuring heavily pro-Hindutva narratives. Kang demanded that Satluj should be restored and said the sudden removal reflected the state's discomfort with historical narratives.
"By blocking #Satluj, the @BJP4India has exposed its true face. It is yet another reminder of its deep discomfort with Punjab's truth and its persistent prejudice against Punjab. I strongly urge the Government to ensure that #Satluj is reinstated without delay. History must be confronted with honesty, not buried through silence & censorship," he wrote.
Kulwant Singh Manan, chief secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) told PTI that the public should be allowed to see representations of Punjab's militancy-era history and form their own perspectives on the events. He asserted that film should not have been taken down and that the government should make sure that people view the film.
Delay in release and certification troubles
Originally titled Ghallughara (a Punjabi term referring the massacres of the Sikh community in 1746, 1762 and 1984), the film was first sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 for approval, after which the board demanded 127 cuts to the original film, including changing the name to Punjab'95. The movie's producers reportedly challenged the board's decision before the Bombay high court, however, the case the later withdrawn.
Also read: 'Satluj', Now Withdrawn From OTT Platform, Has the Scope of a Novel and the Restraint of a Poem
After battling certification and legal hurdles for more than three years, during which the film was also abruptly pulled from a planned premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, the movie premiered on July 3, 2026, on Zee5 under the title Staluj.
According to Forbes, in a Instagram live addressing the movie's release, Dosanjh confirmed that the film was streamed uncut on the OTT platform. "Our film has finally been released on Zee5. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the original title 'Punjab'95' for certain reasons so it is now called 'Satluj.' But there are absolutely no cuts in the film. The version I watched in theatres two years ago is exactly the same one I watched at home last week. If even a single cut had been made I would not have promoted the film," he said.
A secret OTT release months in the making
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Trehan revealed that the film's July 3 digital release was carried out under secrecy after years of unsuccessful attempts to secure a theatrical release. According to Trehan, only a handful of people, including Dosanjh, were aware of the Zee5 premiere in advance, with even the director being uncertain until hours before the film went live. He lauded the platform and producers for orchestrating what he described as a tightly coordinated plan.
Trehan added that the decision to bypass theatres altogether came after prolonged back and forth with the CBFC over the certification process. He claimed that despite continued efforts, the filmmakers did not receive any clear justification for the proposed cuts. He further alleged that communication from the board's officials stopped completely late last year, prompting the producers to pursue an OTT-specific strategy, which did not require a theatrical censor certificate.
Why 'Satluj' remains significant
The highly-anticipated biographical drama centred on Khalra's efforts to expose alleged human rights violations during one of the most politically tumultuous periods in Punjab. The investigation, which implicated hundreds of Punjab Police officers, followed complaints filed by Sikh families in the wake of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, calling attention to the alleged abduction of several citizens by the Punjab Police on the 'suspicion of militancy.'
The movie talks about the alleged illegal cremation of over 25,000 unidentified bodies as well as the murder of over 2,000 police officers for not collaborating in 'counter-terrorism' operations in the 1990s. Khalra's findings brought him national and international recognition, making him one of the pioneering human rights voices from Punjab.
In 1995, Khalra was abducted from outside his home while washing his car. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found that he had been held hostage at a police station in the state's Tarn Taran district, recommending the prosecution of nine Punjab Police officers in connection with the case. On October 16, 2007, the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered the life imprisonment of four accused – former sub-inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh and head constable Prithipal Singh.
Concerns over censorship
The movie's removal from India has raised concerns over selective censorship of movies, wherein movies deemed 'harmful' to national sentiments have been systematically banned, while several politically contentious movies propagating Hindu nationalist ideologies remain available and widely-streamed on Zee5, including The Kashmir Files (2022), The Kerala Story (2023), The Bengal Files (2025), and The Kerala Story 2 (2026).
This article went live on July sixth, two thousand twenty six, at forty-three minutes past twelve at noon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
