Actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh has responded after his film Satluj was removed from ZEE5 in India two days after its streaming release. The film, earlier titled Punjab 95, premiered on the platform on July 3, 2026, in its original and unaltered form.
ZEE5 later announced on the evening of July 5 that the film would no longer be available for streaming in India. The platform cited “current developments” and said the film had been withdrawn until further notice.
Diljit did not issue a detailed formal statement at first. Instead, he posted a still from the film on Instagram with the caption, “I challenge the darkness.” He also wrote a Punjabi message comparing the film’s situation with the life of Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose story inspired the film.
Diljit says he expected the film to face trouble
During a live interaction with fans, Diljit spoke more directly about the film’s removal. He said he had already expected a setback, though he thought it might happen after offices opened on Monday.
“My love and respect to all of you. What I had already expected is exactly what happened. I thought the film might get banned when offices will open on Monday, but I didn’t know it would happen as early as Sunday evening,” he said.
The actor said the team had been aware of the uncertainty around the film. According to him, this was one reason they did not carry out a large promotional campaign before the release. He said they feared that too much promotion could have affected the film’s chances of reaching viewers at all.
Despite the film’s short run on ZEE5 in India, Diljit said he was relieved that at least some people managed to watch it. He also referred to reports of viewers downloading the film and screenings being arranged with a projector at Gurudwara Sahib.
“But now I have the satisfaction that at least our work has reached people the way we wanted it to. People have already downloaded it. One thing that made me especially happy was seeing that they’re even screening the movie with a projector at Gurudwara Sahib. It brought me immense joy to see that,” he said.
He added, “Once something is on the internet, I don’t think it can ever truly be deleted.”
Years of work behind Satluj
Diljit also spoke about the long process of bringing the film to audiences. He said the team had worked on the project for nearly six to seven years and had been fighting for four years.
“We’ve been fighting for four years. Who knows, maybe it’ll come back again if we get another chance to continue the fight. But I’m content that the movie is finally out,” he said.
Satluj is directed by Honey Trehan. The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Khalra had exposed alleged extrajudicial killings and illegal mass cremations of unidentified Sikh youths during the militancy period in Punjab in the 1990s. He disappeared in 1995 under mysterious circumstances.
What ZEE5 said about the removal
ZEE5 confirmed that Satluj had been made unavailable in India until further notice. In its statement, the streaming platform said, “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.”
The platform also thanked viewers who watched the film during the short period it was available. It said it was grateful to those who subscribed, watched and supported 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,” the statement added.
Earlier controversy around the film
Before its streaming release, the film had already faced a long period of controversy. Reports mentioned in the source said the Central Board of Film Certification had sought more than 120 cuts. These reportedly included the removal of references to Punjab and the Punjab Police, along with changes linked to the identity of the real-life protagonist.
The film was eventually released on ZEE5 without a theatrical release. Its removal from the Indian library has now added another chapter to the long struggle around the project.
Source: Bollywood Hungama.