Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj had barely begun its India streaming run before it ran into fresh trouble. The film, which premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after years of delays and censorship battles, was taken down from the platform in India on July 5, forcing an abrupt pause on one of the most contentious releases in recent OTT memory.
Originally titled Punjab 95, the Honey Trehan directorial is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Its digital arrival was already loaded with history, given the prolonged certification battle that kept the film off screens for years.
Zee5 Confirms Takedown And Backs The Film
ZEE5 addressed the development in an official statement and strongly reiterated its support for the project. The platform said, “The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life (sic).”
It continued, “At ZEE5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives (sic).”
Confirming the film’s removal from India, the streamer added, “In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity (sic).”
The caption on ZEE5’s post read, “ Satluj may have paused. But the conversation it started hasn’t. Thank you for the incredible love. We hope to bring it back soon.”
The takedown comes after the film skipped a theatrical release in India and debuted directly on OTT under its new title. The CBFC had sought more than 120 cuts, including changes linked to the title and references to Punjab. The dispute also disrupted the film’s festival journey, and it was withdrawn before its scheduled Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead, alongside Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan. Backed by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, the film follows Khalra’s fight after he exposed the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during the insurgency years.
Diljit Dosanjh’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Diljit has remained strikingly active across theatres and streaming in the last few years. In 2024, he featured in Crew and delivered one of his strongest recent performances in Netflix’s Amar Singh Chamkila. In 2025, he appeared in Detective Sherdil, further extending his run on OTT.
In 2026, Diljit returned to theatres with Main Vaapas Aaunga, directed by Imtiaz Ali and co-starring Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari and Vedang Raina. The film released on June 12, 2026, and emerged as a sleeper hit. He was also seen in Border 2 in 2026 alongside Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty. Against that backdrop, Satluj has stood out as one of the most politically charged titles in his career, which makes its sudden removal from ZEE5 India all the more significant.
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