Sikh body to hold Satluj public screenings and seminars after ZEE5 takedown
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has opposed Satluj's removal from ZEE5 in India and plans community screenings of the film. It will also hold educational seminars on Jaswant Singh Khalra, saying his story must remain accessible.
Days after Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj was removed from ZEE5 in India, the controversy surrounding the film has taken a new turn. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has strongly opposed the film's removal, calling it an attempt to suppress the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. In a show of support, the committee has announced plans to organise public screenings of the film and hold seminars across educational institutions to ensure Khalra's story continues to reach people despite the takedown.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka said preventing people from watching the film amounted to erasing an important chapter of Punjab's history.
"Since this film is a biographical portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it depicts how a social activist opened people's eyes to the truth. He uncovered evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as 'unclaimed' and raised the issue not only within the country but also internationally, highlighting the dire situation in Punjab. Suppressing this story and preventing the events of that dark era from reaching the public is deeply wrong, and it has sparked immense outrage across the Sikh community," Kalka said.
Announcing the committee's next course of action, Kalka said the Sikh body had instructed members of its gurdwara committees to download and screen the film in their respective localities so that audiences could still watch it despite its removal from the streaming platform.
He also revealed that the committee would soon convene a meeting with the heads of educational institutions run by the DSGMC to organise seminars on Khalra's life and legacy.
"We want people to realise the impact a single social activist can have on society. If one individual can achieve so much, there is no reason why we cannot all work together to do the same," he said.
What is Satluj all about?
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Punjab human rights activist who exposed illegal killings and secret cremations of thousands of people during the militancy years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The film, which stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, was quietly released on ZEE5 on July 3 after a three-year-long battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
However, it was removed from the platform in India within 48 hours, with ZEE5 citing "current developments". The government sources later claimed that the film was pulled due to security reasons as they were concerned about pro-Khalistan groups trying to regain ground in Punjab ahead of the upcoming elections.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a bank clerk who became one of Punjab's most prominent human rights activists during the militancy era. Through official records, he uncovered evidence suggesting that thousands of unidentified bodies had been illegally cremated by security forces during counter-insurgency operations. His findings drew national and international attention to alleged human rights violations in Punjab.
Khalra disappeared in September 1995. According to investigators, he was abducted outside his home and later killed. A decade later, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted in connection with his abduction and murder.
A film mired in controversy
Originally titled Punjab '95, the film remained stalled for nearly four years after the CBFC reportedly sought 127 cuts and several changes, including references to Khalra himself. Director Honey Trehan had repeatedly criticised the certification process, arguing that the demands effectively prevented the film from being released.
The film eventually premiered on ZEE5 in an uncut form under the new title Satluj. However, within two days of its release, it was taken down for Indian audiences. While ZEE5 has maintained that the film remains on "pause" due to "current developments", it has not officially explained the reasons behind the decision. Later, the streaming platform shared another statement urging people not to take to piracy and that they are trying their best to give a proper avenue to the film.
Produced by RSVP Movies and MacGuffin Pictures, Satluj also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.
Days after Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj was removed from ZEE5 in India, the controversy surrounding the film has taken a new turn. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has strongly opposed the film's removal, calling it an attempt to suppress the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. In a show of support, the committee has announced plans to organise public screenings of the film and hold seminars across educational institutions to ensure Khalra's story continues to reach people despite the takedown.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka said preventing people from watching the film amounted to erasing an important chapter of Punjab's history.
"Since this film is a biographical portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it depicts how a social activist opened people's eyes to the truth. He uncovered evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as 'unclaimed' and raised the issue not only within the country but also internationally, highlighting the dire situation in Punjab. Suppressing this story and preventing the events of that dark era from reaching the public is deeply wrong, and it has sparked immense outrage across the Sikh community," Kalka said.
Announcing the committee's next course of action, Kalka said the Sikh body had instructed members of its gurdwara committees to download and screen the film in their respective localities so that audiences could still watch it despite its removal from the streaming platform.
He also revealed that the committee would soon convene a meeting with the heads of educational institutions run by the DSGMC to organise seminars on Khalra's life and legacy.
"We want people to realise the impact a single social activist can have on society. If one individual can achieve so much, there is no reason why we cannot all work together to do the same," he said.
What is Satluj all about?
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Punjab human rights activist who exposed illegal killings and secret cremations of thousands of people during the militancy years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The film, which stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, was quietly released on ZEE5 on July 3 after a three-year-long battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
However, it was removed from the platform in India within 48 hours, with ZEE5 citing "current developments". The government sources later claimed that the film was pulled due to security reasons as they were concerned about pro-Khalistan groups trying to regain ground in Punjab ahead of the upcoming elections.
Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a bank clerk who became one of Punjab's most prominent human rights activists during the militancy era. Through official records, he uncovered evidence suggesting that thousands of unidentified bodies had been illegally cremated by security forces during counter-insurgency operations. His findings drew national and international attention to alleged human rights violations in Punjab.
Khalra disappeared in September 1995. According to investigators, he was abducted outside his home and later killed. A decade later, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted in connection with his abduction and murder.
A film mired in controversy
Originally titled Punjab '95, the film remained stalled for nearly four years after the CBFC reportedly sought 127 cuts and several changes, including references to Khalra himself. Director Honey Trehan had repeatedly criticised the certification process, arguing that the demands effectively prevented the film from being released.
The film eventually premiered on ZEE5 in an uncut form under the new title Satluj. However, within two days of its release, it was taken down for Indian audiences. While ZEE5 has maintained that the film remains on "pause" due to "current developments", it has not officially explained the reasons behind the decision. Later, the streaming platform shared another statement urging people not to take to piracy and that they are trying their best to give a proper avenue to the film.
Produced by RSVP Movies and MacGuffin Pictures, Satluj also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.
