- Satluj was released on ZEE5 India on July 3
- Anurag Basu compared Honey Trehan's situation to Iranian director Jafar Panahi
- Satluj remains unavailable in India until further notice, per ZEE5 statement
Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj was released on ZEE5 in India on July 3, but it was removed from the streaming platform just two days later. The unexpected move has sparked reactions from several members of the film industry, with writer-director Anurag Basu now sharing his views.
Taking to his X, Basu compared filmmaker Honey Trehan's situation with that of acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi. He wrote, "#Satluj I never thought a day would come when Honey Trehan would face what Jafar Panahi faced in Iran."
More About The Film
Originally titled Punjab 95, the film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but remained caught in the certification process for nearly three years.
The filmmaker had previously alleged that the CBFC sought 127 cuts to the film. It was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the screening was cancelled after objections were reportedly raised by Indian authorities.
The film was eventually released on ZEE5 under the title Satluj. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.
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