Kunal Kamra calls out CBFC after Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj was taken down: ‘Jaswant Singh Khalra has been kidnapped again’ | Today’s news

Kunal Kamra has added his voice to the growing controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, questioning the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after the film disappeared from streaming platform ZEE5 less than two days after its release. His strongly worded post reignited the debate over censorship, artistic freedom and the long struggle the filmmakers faced to release the film.

Directed by Honey Trehan, the film, originally titled Punjab ’95, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during the insurgency years. Khalra was kidnapped in 1995 and never seen again. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for his abduction and murder. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later increased their sentence to life imprisonment.

Reacting to the removal of the film from ZEE5, Kamra X-marked former CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi and asked why the censor board had recommended 127 cuts for Punjab ’95.

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Satluj was removed from ZEE5 just two days after its release, with the platform saying it would be unavailable in India until further notice due to unspecified “current developments”.

The film faced censorship issues, including a demand for 127 cuts by the CBFC, and its removal was attributed to political reasons amid ongoing debates over artistic freedom and censorship.

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist who exposed the alleged illegal cremations of many unidentified bodies during the Punjab uprising and was kidnapped in 1995, which is central to the film’s story.

Kunal Kamra criticized the CBFC on social media, questioning the rationale behind the cuts and condemning the film’s removal, linking it to broader issues of artistic freedom and censorship.

ZEE5 expressed its commitment to explore all possible avenues to bring Satluj back to its platform and appealed to viewers not to support piracy while supporting the filmmakers’ creative vision.

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“Can you please enlighten us as to why 127 cuts were recommended for the film Punjab ’95?” he wrote

Kamra pointed out that the same film titled Satluj was removed from the OTT platform within two days despite the CBFC having no jurisdiction over streaming platforms or international versions.

He said the film tells the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra, “a man who exposed documented human rights abuses and paid for it with his life”, adding that if a film based on documented facts cannot be seen by Indian audiences, “the public deserves to know why.”

The comedian went on to claim that the episode sends a discouraging message to filmmakers trying to tell stories about a “big personality from a minority community”, while questioning the apparent inconsistency in the treatment of different films.

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“Journalists should ask the people who run this censor board some tough questions. Why are some politically insensitive films allowed to pass without a hitch while others spend years in limbo?” he wrote

In another part of his post, Kamra commented, “How does it feel to feast on four years of a director’s career?” before concluding with the sentence, “Jaswant Singh Khalra has been kidnapped again, this time by the CBFC.”

His remarks quickly gained traction on social media and added momentum to the ongoing debate over the film’s removal.

The controversy started after Satluj was quietly released on ZEE5 on Friday without any promotional campaign. The film remained in limbo for more than three years after the CBFC reportedly suggested 127 cuts. Director Honey Trehan and actor Diljit Dosanjh refused to release the film in this form.

The film appeared on the platform under its new title and without any cuts. However, it was withdrawn on Sunday evening.

Announcing the development of ZEE5, he said, “In light of current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice.” While the platform didn’t elaborate on what the development was, it said the audience response was overwhelming and reiterated its support for the creators’ creative vision.

The streaming service also urged viewers not to resort to piracy.

“We are doing everything we can to bring Satluj back. Please do your part – don’t support piracy. We remain committed to exploring all possible avenues to bring Satluj back to you,” read a separate Instagram post.

Taking to Instagram from the United States, where he is currently on tour, Diljit Dosanjh said that he expected the film’s release on the platform to be short-lived.

“I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. I already had it in my head. It’s nothing to be shocked about. I thought it would be banned on Monday when the offices open, but I didn’t imagine it would happen on Sunday night itself,” he said in Punjabi.

The actor said that the makers deliberately decided not to promote the film as they feared that it might be scrapped even earlier.

“We released it quietly because it had to happen. I am satisfied that people have seen the film and it has reached them,” he said.

Dosanjh added that many viewers had already watched or downloaded the film before it was removed.

“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 film and you can look at it however you want,” he said.

The actor also noted that attempts to suppress the film would only increase public curiosity and said that “nothing will disappear from the Internet”.

The controversy also received support from political parties and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), both of whom demanded that the film be restored for Indian audiences.

Produced by Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala under the banners MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP, Satluj also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles. The film was scheduled to premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival before being pulled from the lineup without official explanation. It was later scheduled for a worldwide release in February 2025, but that release failed to materialize as well.