India bans 'Satluj' film 48 hours after online release
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- Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, debuted on Zee5 on July 3 and was pulled on July 5 after the government invoked the Information Technology Act to block online content.
- The film chronicles Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who exposed thousands of extrajudicial police killings in Punjab during the 1980s-90s insurgency before being kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Punjab police in 1995; six officers were convicted in 2005.
- A government review panel recommended the film remain blocked, citing its "one-sidedness aligns with the structure of pro-Khalistan propaganda" and "risk of (its) hostile exploitation," prompting its removal from Zee's international platform on July 11.
- The censorship battle stretches back to 2022 — censors forced the title to change from "Ghallughara" to "Punjab '95" to "Satluj" and reportedly demanded over 120 cuts, including scenes depicting police violence.
- The ban has triggered underground screenings — Sikh community groups are organizing showings in gurudwaras and village halls across Punjab using downloaded copies, drawing young and elderly audiences including insurgency-era survivors.
- Film critic Namrata Joshi called the censorship unusual given that the depicted atrocities occurred mostly when the opposition Congress held power, while journalist Satinder Bains said the BJP fears the film could fuel a Khalistani resurgence ahead of the 2027 state elections.
Why it matters: The ban has backfired into free publicity — Sikh groups are now organizing public screenings across Punjab while analysts say the BJP's persistence signals fear that Khalistani sentiment, visible when PM Modi was jeered by separatist supporters during his July 8-11 Australia and New Zealand visit, could spread ahead of the 2027 state elections.
