Satluj director Honey Trehan breaks silence after Zee5 removes Diljit Dosanjh film, shares hopeful note

A film that finally found daylight on streaming platforms after years of contention has now slipped back into uncertainty.

Honey Trehan’s Satluj (earlier titled Panjab 95), based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was released uncut on Zee5 this Friday, marking what many saw as a long-awaited moment for the project. But by Sunday, it had vanished from the platform in India. The streamer cited “developments” in a brief statement, offering no further explanation.

The sudden removal has once again placed the film in an uneasy limbo, despite its high-profile cast and sensitive historical subject matter.

A story rooted in one of Punjab’s most contested histories

At the centre of Satluj is Diljit Dosanjh’s portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the activist who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994. Khalra himself disappeared in 1995, and years later, four Punjab Police officials were convicted in connection with his abduction and murder, receiving life sentences after an initial conviction.

The film revisits these events, long documented, heavily scrutinised, and still politically charged, through a dramatic lens that has drawn both attention and controversy since its inception.

Its sudden release on Zee5 this Friday had been unexpected, even welcomed by viewers who had followed its turbulent journey.

Zee5 cites ‘developments’, film disappears without warning

On Sunday evening, Zee5 issued a statement confirming that Satluj was no longer available in India.

“In light of the current developments, ‘Satluj’ will be unavailable in India until further notice,” the platform said, adding that it remained committed to “exploring every appropriate avenue through due process” to restore access. The statement also reiterated support for the film’s “creative vision” and thanked viewers for their response.

Later that day, Honey Trehan reshared the statement on Instagram Stories, adding a brief Punjabi line: “Tera bhana meetha lage” roughly translating to the universe's will is sweet, accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

Lead actor Diljit Dosanjh, meanwhile, responde, drawing parallels between the film’s abrupt removal and the fate of Khalra himself.

Produced by Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala under MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP, Satluj features an ensemble cast including Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.