'They made the required money': Union minister questions Satluj removal, targets Diljit Dosanjh

Reacting to the ongoing controversy surrounding the film Satluj, which was removed from ZEE 5 days after its release, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said the makers had withdrawn the film after “earning the required money”.

The Minister of State for Railways disputed claims that the government was behind the removal of the film and said that if the Center had intended to remove the film, it would never have given permission to release it. Bittu further stepped up his attack on Diljit Dosanjh and said that he found things suspicious from the beginning.

“…We should have understood that there was something strange when Diljit Dosanjh said that the film will be available on the OTT platform for 2-3 days and then it will be removed. If the government really intended to remove the film, why would they allow it to be streamed at all? It seems that once they made the required money, (the filmmakers) removed the film,” said Bittu.

Bittu also criticized another of Diljit Dosanjh’s films, Chamkila, saying that the actor would not have taken up the role if he really respected women.

“Diljit Dosanjh only thinks about money. If Diljit Dosanjh had any respect for the women in his family like his mother or sister, he wouldn’t have acted in the movie Chamkila,” said Bittu.

He further accused the actor of being disconnected from Punjab and said, “He sits in big mansions in LA; what does he care about Punjab?” Bittu added that the state only wants peace.

Satluj was pulled from streaming platform ZEE5 just two days after its release, prompting widespread reactions from celebrities and politicians.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) said the film was released on the OTT platform without completing the required certification process, while ZEE5 confirmed that the film will remain unavailable in India until further notice.

According to I&B Ministry officials, the film did not have the required certification for theatrical release.

About Satluj: Why is it controversial?

The film is based on the life of Punjab-based human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who allegedly exposed illegal killings and secret cremations in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Punjab witnessed intense militancy and counter-insurgency operations. Khalra went missing in 1995 and his body was found near the Harike Bridge on the Sutlej River, linking the story to the film’s title.

Helmed by Honey Trehan and produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, *Satluj* also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

(With input from agencies)