Satluj row: Diljit Dosanjh's film release paused globally as review process continues

Diljit Dosanjh in ‘Satluj’

A week after Satluj was pulled from Zee5 in India following government intervention, the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer has now been removed from the platform globally. Multiple sources told mid-day that the film's release has been put on hold until the Inter-Departmental Committee, as per the Information Technology Rules, completes its review of the film, originally titled Punjab ‘95. "The idea is to maintain one uniform position globally while the process is underway given the sensitivity of the story," says an insider.

"This isn't necessarily a permanent decision. Everyone is waiting for the committee's observations before deciding the next course of action," the source adds.

Jaswant Singh Khalra

While Satluj is no longer available on Zee5 worldwide, the film - which chronicles activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's investigation into the extrajudicial killings of Sikh youths during the Punjab insurgency between 1984 and 1995 - is being widely pirated online. mid-day has learnt that it is streaming on YouTube, uploaded by several non-profit organisations, including Ensaaf, a US-based human rights organisation that has extensively documented cases of killings in Punjab.

Earlier this week, mid-day had reported that the film was being screened in gurudwaras across Punjab (No hiding our history, July 9). Those screenings are now being halted by the police.

A committee set up by the Centre to examine the content of ‘Satluj' has recommended that the ban on its public access through online streaming platforms should remain as the film allegedly goes against India's sovereignty and integrity, government sources said on Saturday.