ZEE5 breaks silence on Satluj takedown, urges viewers not to turn to piracy
ZEE5 has issued a fresh statement after pulling down Satluj, urging viewers not to support piracy and assuring them it is exploring every possible way to restore the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer. The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, had faced years of censorship hurdles before its surprise OTT release.
Streaming platform ZEE5 on Monday issued a statement hours after pulling Satluj from its platform. The platform urged viewers not to support piracy after pirated copies and illegal links to the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer began circulating online. It also assured audiences that it was exploring all possible options to restore the film to the platform.
"We are hopeful and doing everything we can. Please do not support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring Satluj back to you (sic)," the statement read.
In its previous statement, ZEE5 said it was taking down the film due to "current developments", and did not refer to any political or existing certification issues.
The statement also included a thank-you message to the viewers for their response to the film. It said, “The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life.”
The platform also said it stood by the film’s team and its vision. "At Zee5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives," it said.
All about Satluj
Satluj endured a separate journey to obtain a certificate from the censor board. The film took more than three years to be released. For the theatrical release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the team to make over 125 cuts. The team did not go ahead with those cuts, and the film never saw the light of the day in cinemas. Then on July 3, it simply dropped on ZEE5, without any prior information or promotions.
Given the politically sensitive subject, the film ran into prolonged certificate hurdles. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought extensive changes before granting clearance, with the makers alleging that the demands went far beyond routine edits.
Directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Satluj tells the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Originally titled Punjab '95, the film is set against the backdrop of Punjab's insurgency in the 1990s.
Khalra pieces together evidence of thousands of alleged illegal cremations carried out during Punjab's militancy years - the '90s - after families started searching for loved ones who vanished without a trace. What starts as an attempt to answer a grieving mother's question gradually turns into one of the most dangerous investigations imaginable, as municipal registers, cremation records and bureaucratic files expose a system that had learnt to erase people as efficiently as it erased evidence.
Khalra's investigation brought international attention to human rights violations during one of Punjab's most turbulent periods. In 1995, Khalra himself was abducted and later killed. Several police officials were subsequently convicted in connection with his abduction and murder.
India Today gave a four-star rating to the film in its review. A part of the review read, "Trehan understands something many political films often forget. Violence isn't frightening because we witness it, it is frightening because of what it leaves behind. The silence, the waiting, the uncertainty and the inability to mourn because nobody officially admits a death ever happened."
Streaming platform ZEE5 on Monday issued a statement hours after pulling Satluj from its platform. The platform urged viewers not to support piracy after pirated copies and illegal links to the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer began circulating online. It also assured audiences that it was exploring all possible options to restore the film to the platform.
"We are hopeful and doing everything we can. Please do not support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring Satluj back to you (sic)," the statement read.
In its previous statement, ZEE5 said it was taking down the film due to "current developments", and did not refer to any political or existing certification issues.
The statement also included a thank-you message to the viewers for their response to the film. It said, “The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life.”
The platform also said it stood by the film’s team and its vision. "At Zee5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives," it said.
All about Satluj
Satluj endured a separate journey to obtain a certificate from the censor board. The film took more than three years to be released. For the theatrical release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the team to make over 125 cuts. The team did not go ahead with those cuts, and the film never saw the light of the day in cinemas. Then on July 3, it simply dropped on ZEE5, without any prior information or promotions.
Given the politically sensitive subject, the film ran into prolonged certificate hurdles. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought extensive changes before granting clearance, with the makers alleging that the demands went far beyond routine edits.
Directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Satluj tells the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Originally titled Punjab '95, the film is set against the backdrop of Punjab's insurgency in the 1990s.
Khalra pieces together evidence of thousands of alleged illegal cremations carried out during Punjab's militancy years - the '90s - after families started searching for loved ones who vanished without a trace. What starts as an attempt to answer a grieving mother's question gradually turns into one of the most dangerous investigations imaginable, as municipal registers, cremation records and bureaucratic files expose a system that had learnt to erase people as efficiently as it erased evidence.
Khalra's investigation brought international attention to human rights violations during one of Punjab's most turbulent periods. In 1995, Khalra himself was abducted and later killed. Several police officials were subsequently convicted in connection with his abduction and murder.
India Today gave a four-star rating to the film in its review. A part of the review read, "Trehan understands something many political films often forget. Violence isn't frightening because we witness it, it is frightening because of what it leaves behind. The silence, the waiting, the uncertainty and the inability to mourn because nobody officially admits a death ever happened."
