Actor Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj, formerly titled Punjab '95, has been removed from ZEE5 less than 48 hours after its quiet release on the streaming platform in an uncut version last Friday. Following its removal, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra published an open letter addressed to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Prasoon Joshi, questioning both the extensive censorship recommendations made earlier and the film's subsequent removal from the OTT platform.
Satluj had remained entangled in censorship issues for more than three years while seeking a theatrical release but was never screened in cinemas. Reacting to its removal from ZEE5, Kamra wrote, "Can you please enlighten us on why 127 cuts were recommended for the film Punjab '95? The same film, now renamed Satluj, has been taken down from an OTT platform in less than two days. The CBFC has no jurisdiction over OTT platforms or international releases."
Referring to the film's subject, Kamra added, "Punjab '95 tells the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a man who exposed documented human rights abuses and paid for it with his life. If a film based on documented facts cannot be seen by Indian audiences, then the public deserves to know why. This sends a very direct message to filmmakers and production companies: if you're paying homage to a great personality from a minority community, you'll have to face the CBFC."
Kamra also accused the censor board of applying inconsistent standards and urged journalists to question officials about why certain politically sensitive films appeared to receive approvals without difficulty while others faced prolonged delays.
Highlighting what he described as a disparity in treatment, he wrote, "A red carpet for The Kashmir Files, The Bengal Files and The Kerala Story. Roses for Dhurandhar 1 and 2, a fictional documentary/explainer for the unthinkable and the unexplainable."
He further questioned the impact of prolonged censorship on filmmakers, asking how it felt to "feast on four years of a director's career."
Concluding his note, Kamra contrasted the current situation with what he described as earlier democratic legal practices, writing, "In Nehru's India, this would have been litigated in court."
He also questioned the kind of cinema being encouraged if filmmakers had to endure years of obstacles for portraying individuals who fought for justice. Drawing a parallel with the real-life fate of Jaswant Singh Khalra, Kamra remarked that the human rights activist had effectively been "abducted again, this time by the CBFC."
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh in the role of the late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
