📌 Key Points
- Diljit Dosanjh’s film, now titled ‘Satluj’, quietly released on an OTT platform after three years of delays.
- The movie, based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, faced significant issues with the CBFC and multiple title changes.
- Originally ‘Ghalughara’, then ‘Panjab ’95’, it underwent 120 cuts and title objections from the CBFC.
- The film was controversially removed from the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 lineup, hinting at political interference.
Diljit Dosanjh’s highly anticipated and controversial film, now titled ‘Satluj’, has finally made its quiet debut on an OTT platform. After three years of significant delays, multiple title changes, and battles with the CBFC, the film, based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, is now available for streaming.
From Ghalughara to Satluj: A Troubled Journey
Diljit Dosanjh -starrer Panjab ’95 is now retitled Satluj and has finally seen its day of release. The film dropped quietly on an OTT platform on Friday. Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj was delayed after running into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC ). It is based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life and death, was supposed to be released globally last year in February. However, the release was indefinitely postponed. Now, the film is available to stream on Zee5.
Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, also stars Varun Badola, and Geetika Vidya Ohlan. The film has been mired in controversies for almost three years, ever since it was submitted for certification to the CBFC.
CBFC Cuts and Political Interventions
This is the second time the film’s title has seen a change. Satluj, in 2022, was titled to Panjab ’95 , which was previously titled Ghalughara after the Ghalughara massacre. The film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification. However, the CBFC made 120 cuts in the film and objected to the title. Eventually, the apex Sikh religious body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), intervened, and the CBFC relented with the cuts but asked the title to still be changed. Eventually, the film was rechristened Panjab ’95. The film’s trailer was launched on YouTube the same year but was removed barely a day later.
That was not all. The film was set to get its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival ( TIFF ) in 2023 but was removed from the lineup just a day before the premiere date. A source told Variety that there are ‘political forces at play’ in the film being pulled from Toronto as Canada has the second largest Sikh population in the world after India. The festival organisers never confirmed or denied this.
Finally Streaming: What to Expect from Satluj
In 1995, he mysteriously disappeared, and a decade later, in 2005, four police officers were arrested for his alleged abduction and murder. His life and death is a controversial part of the state’s sensitive history, particularly the connections with militancy. In 2007, the Punjab and Haryana High Court extended their initial seven-year sentence to life imprisonment.
Despite a tumultuous journey marked by censorship, title changes, and festival withdrawals, ‘Satluj’ has finally reached its audience. This long-awaited release highlights the persistent challenges faced by filmmakers tackling sensitive subjects, yet ultimately delivers a significant story to viewers.
