Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh‘s long-delayed film ‘Punjab ’95’, which was released in India on streaming service ZEE5 under a new title ‘Satluj’, has become unavailable on the platform just two days later, a PTI report from New Delhi stated late yesterday evening.
The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was stuck in censorship for over three years.
The Honey Trehan-directed movie was released without any cuts on Friday (June 3), but on Sunday evening the platform shared a statement to inform viewers that it’s no longer available in India.
ZEE5 statement, posted on X, said it has temporarily made film ‘Sutlej’ unavailable in India, citing “current developments”, while affirming its support for the film and its creators.
“In light of the current developments, Sutlej will be unavailable in India until further notice,” ZEE5 said in the statement.
In the statement, the streaming platform said the response to ‘Sutlej’ since its release had been “truly overwhelming” and thanked viewers who subscribed, watched and championed the film. It said audience support had meant a great deal to both the platform and those involved in bringing the story to life.
The company said it stood firmly behind ‘Sutlej’ and the creative vision behind it, adding that powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact.
The platform added that it would continue exploring “every appropriate avenue through due process” to bring the film back to audiences at the earliest opportunity.
Reiterating its broader content philosophy, ZEE5 said its commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains “unwavering”.
The film had run into censorship issues and was fighting legal battles for over three years. According to a another PTI report from Mumbai last week, the streaming service had announced that the movie, directed by Trehan and based on the life of human rights activist Khalra, was available on its platform.
In the movie, Dosanjh essays the role of Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994, before disappearing in 1995.
The ensemble cast includes Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and the film is positioned as a hard-hitting social drama exploring courage, accountability and the human cost of conflict.
The film is backed by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures and is co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Trehan and Abhishek Chaubey.
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