Satluj Film Removed from ZEE5 After Controversial OTT Release

According to officials in the information and broadcasting ministry, the film did not have the mandatory certification.

NEW DELHI: The controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj has deepened after the Union ministry of information and broadcasting said the film was released on OTT without completing the required certification process. The development comes after ZEE5 removed the film from its India catalogue just two days after its release.

Based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, Satluj had been at the centre of a prolonged certification dispute before it was released on ZEE5 on Friday under a new title. The streaming platform later withdrew the film from India, saying it would remain unavailable until further notice.

According to officials in the information and broadcasting ministry, the film did not have the mandatory certification required for a theatrical release before it was made available online.

"Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film's title and released it on an OTT platform on Friday," an official told news agency ANI.

The official further alleged that the release violated the provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, although no specific provision was identified.

The ministry also said the Central Board of Film Certification had recommended nearly 100 cuts to the film. According to the official, instead of implementing those changes, the filmmakers changed the title and proceeded with the OTT release.

Officials further said the ministry had not received any representation from the filmmakers seeking approval or reconsideration before the film was released.

Confirming the takedown, ZEE5 said on Sunday, "In light of the 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 audiences at the earliest opportunity."

The removal sparked political reactions, with senior Congress leader Pargat Singh criticising the decision. He said, "The real thing is that the propaganda films that the BJP makes, whether it's 'The Kerala Story' or others, are shown wherever elections occur as part of their propaganda. But real-time human rights violations... If such things don't come on a public platform, how will correction occur?"

Pargat Singh added, "Power should be used, not misused. I say that a criminal should be treated like a criminal. But ultimately, human rights are also every person's right... I think such a movie should never be banned. It should be seen, learned from, to see how people misuse their power."

Reacting to the removal during an Instagram Live session, Diljit Dosanjh said he had anticipated the development. "My love and respect to all of you. What I had already expected is exactly what happened. I thought the film might get banned when offices will open on Monday, but I didn't know it would happen as early as Sunday evening," the actor said.

Despite the takedown, Dosanjh said he was satisfied that the film had already reached a large audience. "But now I have the satisfaction that at least our work has reached people the way we wanted it to. People have already downloaded it. One thing that made me especially happy was seeing that they're even screening the movie with a projector at Gurudwara Sahib. It brought me immense joy to see that," he said.

Directed by Honey Trehan and produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh in the role of Jaswant Singh Khalra alongside Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.