Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj: Why the film is controversial and how it relates to the Punjab uprising | Today’s news

The Diljit Dosanjh starrer Satluj was removed from ZEE5 on July 5, two days after it premiered on the streaming service. That means a film based on the life of a human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalrais now unavailable in India

ZEE5 cited “development” as the reason for removing the film. “In light of current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audience at the earliest opportunity,” it said in a statement on social media.

Read also | Diljit Dosanjh reacts after Satluj is banned from ZEE5

However, the film remains available for streaming abroad via ZEE5 Global.

Quick answers to key questions

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Satluj, originally titled Punjab ’95, focuses on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and explores his efforts to expose enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the violent period in Punjab in the 1990s.

Satluj was removed from ZEE5 due to “developments” cited by the platform, with the film becoming unavailable in India just two days after its release on 3 July 2023.

The film received mostly positive responses, with audiences praising it as one of the strongest Hindi films, highlighting its emotional intensity and performances, especially by Diljit Dosanjh.

Satluj looks at human rights abuses in Punjab during the turbulent period, particularly the issue of mass disappearances and state-sanctioned killings that were prevalent during the militant years.

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a prominent human rights activist known for exposing illegal killings and secret cremations in Punjab during the 1990s; his work brought national and international attention to human rights issues in the region.

Directed by Honey Trehan and produced Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP alongside MacGuffin Pictures, Satluj was released on ZEE5 on 3 July after certification issues delayed it for about three years.

Along with Diljit Dosanjh, the film also stars Kanwaljeet SinghArjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles.

The film remained in limbo after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly asked for 127 cuts.

This was disputed in Bombay High Courtbut the case was later dropped. In 2023, the film was also pulled from its planned premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

What is Satluj or Punjab ’95 about?

First conceived as Punjab ’95, the film chronicles the life and work of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who investigated alleged cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Punjab in the 1990s.

It is essentially a biographical drama focusing on Khalra’s efforts to document and expose alleged human rights abuses during one of Punjab’s most violent periods.

“At a time when human rights are viewed with skepticism and activism is routinely labeled as a threat to national security, Satluj comes not just as a period drama but as a fearless, contemporary warning,” wrote Anuj Kumar in a film review Hindus.

Caught in the webs Central Board of Film Certification for years it is a story of terrifying darkness, but more than that, it is the story of a lone candle that refused to be blown away by the winds of systemic tyranny in a democracy, Kumar said.

Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist from Punjab who became famous for exposing cases of alleged illegal killings and secret cremations during the militancy years in the state.

Read also | Satluj Review: Diljit Dosanjh’s film has earned widespread praise

Born in 1952 in the village of Khalra v Amritsar Districtin the 1980s he worked as a bank employee before becoming actively involved in human rights work.

Events after Operation Blue Star, the assassination of ex Prime Minister Indira Gandhiand the 1984 anti-Sikh riots hit Khalra. Many Sikh families then reported that their relatives had disappeared after being picked up by the Punjab police on suspicion of having links with militants.

As people mysteriously disappeared, Khalra began gathering information. His research eventually led him to the municipal corporation records in Amritsar, where he allegedly found documents containing the names, ages and addresses of thousands of people who were allegedly killed and illegally cremated by the police without informing their families.

These cases included the Behla custodial killing, the human shield case involving the deaths of seven civilians, the cremation of 25,000 “unidentified” bodies in Punjab, and the police killing of about 2,000 policemen for not cooperating in counter-terrorism operations.

Khalra’s findings brought national and international attention to the issue and made him one of the most respected human rights voices from Punjab.

Khalra disappeared in 1995

However, in 1995, Khalra went missing. According to multiple accounts, he was last seen washing a car before his disappearance.

In 1996, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found evidence that he was kept in Tarn Taran police station. The agency recommended prosecution of nine Punjab Police officials in connection with Khalra’s abduction and murder.

Read also | Punjab ’95 released as ‘Satluj’ on Zee5 – Diljit Dosanjh calls it a ‘must watch’

It comes at a time when human rights are viewed with skepticism… it is the story of a lone candle in a democracy that refused to be blown away by the winds of systemic tyranny.

On 16 October 2007, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and AN Jindal enhanced the life sentence of the four accused – former sub-inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh and Jasbir Singh along with former senior constable Prithipal Singh.

Diljit Dosanjh reacts

Diljit Dosanjh issued his first public response after Satluj was pulled from ZEE5. The actor shared a clip from the film on social media along with a message that appeared to be a direct comparison between the film’s hurdles and Khalra’s own experiences. After posting the video, Dosanjh wrote, “#ichallengethedarkness Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji🙏🏽 #Panjab95 SATLUJ Naal V Oh Hee Hoyea Jo Khalra Saab Naal Hoyea (sic).