Diljit Dosanjh not surprised by ‘Satluj’ being removed from Zee5, says it ‘has to happen’

Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh says the ban on his film Satluj, which was quietly released on ZEE5 without any cuts on Friday (July 3, 2026) and removed just two days later, was bound to happen and he expected it — but on Monday (July 6), when the offices open.

Directed by Honey Trehan, the film features Dosanjh as human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who was kidnapped in 1995 and never seen again. Originally titled ‘Punjab ’95’, the film was stuck with the censors for more than three years. The director and actor refused to release it with 127 cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification.

“Today is Sunday, but it has to be Monday in India. It’s Sunday night for me. I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. I already had it in my head. It’s not something I should be shocked by (the ban). I thought it would be banned on Monday when the offices open,” Dosanjh said Monday on Instagram Live from the US, where he is currently on tour.

“But I had no idea that it would happen on Sunday night itself. We didn’t even promote the film, we just released it. If we had promoted it, it wouldn’t have lasted even two days. But I am happy that people saw the film, it reached them,” Dosanjh said in Punjabi.

“I’m glad many saw it”

On Monday, a day after ZEE5 issued a statement to inform viewers that it was no longer available in India, Dosanjh said he was happy that many people had seen or downloaded the film.

“Today’s youth is talking about the film. I saw a beautiful video of the film being screened at a gurudwara, maybe in Rajasthan. I’m glad the film reached you,” he added on Instagram Live, his preferred mode of communication these days.

The hard work done by the film team has reached people, Dosanjh said and encouraged people to share Satluj and watch it wherever and however they can.

“Nothing disappears from the Internet”

“It was very important that it reached you and it did… I’m grateful that what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it was delivered. It’s your movie and you can watch it however you want,” he said.

“This was the only way to release the film… without saying anything because it had to happen,” he added.

The more you try to stop the film, now with the new title Satluj, the more popular it will become, Dosanjh said, adding that nothing, not even a Whatsapp voice memo, will disappear from the internet.

On Sunday night, he shared a scene from the film where Khalra says, “I challenge the darkness” to react to the removal of the film from the OTT platform.

A few hours earlier, ZEE5 issued a statement saying, “In light of current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every suitable avenue through due process to bring the film back to our viewers at the earliest opportunity.”

The streamer didn’t specify what “current development” meant, but said the response to the film has been overwhelming and they fully support the creative beliefs behind the film.

Removed from TIFF

Satluj delves into the life of Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab over a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994. He disappeared in 1995.

In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for his abduction and murder. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court increased their sentence to life imprisonment.

In 2023, the film was supposed to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but was removed from the lineup without an official statement from the organizers.

“Punjab ’95” was scheduled for a worldwide release on February 7, 2025, without any cuts, except in India. However, this release did not happen either.

The film is produced by Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala under MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP banners.

It also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles.

Published – 06 Jul 2026 14:42 IST