Who Was Jaswant Singh Khalra? The Man Behind Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj
The film, which is a biopic made on Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, stars singer Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, premiered on July 3 but was taken off the platform by July 5, with ZEE5 only citing “current developments” and not giving a clear explanation.
The controversial film Satluj has landed in the middle of a controversy after it was suddenly pulled down from ZEE5 just two days after its release in India. The film, which is a biopic made on Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, stars singer Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, premiered on July 3 but was taken off the platform by July 5, with ZEE5 only citing “current developments” and not giving a clear explanation. The film, however, continues to remain available internationally on ZEE5 Global.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a Sikh human rights activist who investigated and exposed the illegal abduction, torture, and mass secret cremation of thousands of civilians by the Punjab Police during the militancy era of the 1980s and 1990s. These incidents took place after Operation Blue Star and the subsequent assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots. Post these incidents, the police were empowered to detain suspects for any reason, ostensibly as suspected terrorists, leading to mass detentions. He even received global attention for his research concerning the illegal killings and cremations involving the Punjab police, where even police officers who refused to cooperate were said to have been killed.
Because of his relentless activism, he was allegedly abducted from outside his home in Amritsar in September 1995, taken into illegal detention, and subsequently murdered by corrupt police officers. Despite his disappearance, his findings were investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and later confirmed by the Supreme Court, ultimately resulting in life sentences for six police officers involved in his death.
Given the sensitivity of the topic, the film had already been facing issues even before its release.
Multiple setbacks before OTT release
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures; the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.
Satluj had been stuck for years over certification troubles with the CBFC, which reportedly asked for multiple cuts. Because of this, the makers skipped a theatrical release and went straight to OTT, hoping for a smoother path. From 'Ghallughara' to 'Punjab '95' to 'Satluj', the project has undergone multiple title changes. It was slated for a worldwide theatrical release on February 7, 2025, but never made it to the big screen and was finally released on July 3, 2026, on OTT.
However, the controversy did not end there. Soon after its release, concerns were raised over how the film portrays that period, with fears about how audiences might interpret it, considering the politically sensitive subject the film was dealing with and how it would be projected onscreen. Though no official detailed reason has been shared for the removal, the move has once again triggered debate around censorship and creative freedom.
The actor-singer himself had hinted earlier that he expected trouble for the film and asked viewers to download the film and share it with friends and others. Diljit Dosanjh says the ban on his film Satluj, which was quietly released on ZEE5 without any cuts on Friday and removed just two days later, was bound to happen, and he was expecting it in a video shared on his Instagram.
After its removal, reactions have poured in from both the industry and viewers on social media, many questioning why there is still no transparency around such decisions. After the film was taken down, Satluj was leaked online, prompting Zee5 to issue a notice on Monday requesting users not to support piracy,
"We are hopeful and doing everything we can. Please do not support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring Satluj back to you," they wrote in a message on their social media platform.
Meanwhile, political parties and Sikh bodies in Punjab have condemned the removal of Satluj from the OTT platform, saying the movie compels India to confront one of the state's "darkest chapters" and that history must be confronted with honesty, not buried through censorship.
