Diljit Dosanjh Reacts After Satluj Is Removed From ZEE5 Platform

Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh has issued a defiant response after his latest film, Satluj, was abruptly removed from the ZEE5 streaming platform in India just two days after its July 3 digital premiere. The controversial biographical drama, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was taken down following years of regulatory hurdles.

The sudden disappearance of Satluj from digital streaming has triggered widespread online outrage and reignited intense conversations surrounding creative freedom. Originally titled Panjab 95, the Honey Trehan-directed film bypassed a traditional theatrical release to premiere directly on ZEE5 after a prolonged battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which had demanded a staggering 120 cuts.

Taking to social media to address the abrupt removal, the 42-year-old Dosanjh shared a poignant scene from the film on Instagram. Writing a defiant message in Punjabi, the actor stated, “#ichallengethedarkness. Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji. #Punjab95. Satluj is what happened to Khalra Saab,” directly drawing a parallel between the censorship of the film and the real-life silencing of the activist he portrays.

Dosanjh has been vocal about the profound emotional weight of the project, which also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan. In an interview, the actor admitted that chronicling Khalra’s life extracted an immense toll, forcing him to take a rare week-off to recuperate after filming wrapped. Director Honey Trehan and the film’s producers have consistently maintained that the narrative is strictly anchored in documented historical events.

ZEE5 addressed the sudden unavailability of the film in a public statement, confirming that Satluj will remain offline in India until further notice due to “current developments.” While the streaming giant refrained from citing the specific legal or regulatory pressures behind the decision, it asserted that it stands firmly behind the creative vision. “Satluj may have paused. But the conversation it started hasn’t,” the platform shared, noting that they are exploring legal and due process avenues to bring the film back to Indian audiences.

The film’s erasure from the digital space caps off a turbulent history for the production, which was previously withdrawn from its scheduled premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Despite the censorship, the film had garnered strong early momentum, with high-profile figures like former cricketer and Member of Parliament Harbhajan Singh publicly backing the biopic as a “must-watch” shortly before it was pulled.