- Satluj was removed from ZEE5 India two days after its release without prior notice
- The film is widely circulating online through unauthorised uploads on YouTube and Telegram
- ZEE5 urged viewers not to support piracy and is working to bring the film back on the platform
After being removed from ZEE5 just two days after its release, Satluj appears to be circulating widely online through unauthorised channels. While the film is no longer available on the streaming platform in India, copies of it have surfaced across social media and messaging platforms, raising concerns about piracy.
Appealing to viewers not to share or consume pirated versions of the film, ZEE5 recently issued a statement on X. The platform wrote, "We are hopeful and doing everything we can. Please do not support piracy. We remain committed to exploring every possible avenue to bring Satluj back to you."
A search across various platforms shows that the film has been uploaded and shared through multiple unofficial sources. A YouTube channel named @Legend_Cinema1 appears to have uploaded the full movie. Similarly, an X account called @PDABharat shared a post with the caption "Satluj full movie. Watch it before it gets blocked."
The film has also appeared on Telegram, where a channel titled "Satluj HD" was offering download options at the time of checking.
Earlier, Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi claimed that Satluj continues to reach audiences outside India despite its removal from ZEE5.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Jassi said viewers in the United States and several other countries can still access the film. He also alleged that copies of the film have been widely circulated through WhatsApp.
He said, "People in America can watch it, and so can viewers in the rest of the world. I'll also tell you that people have shared it on WhatsApp so extensively and downloaded it so many times that I don't think any film has ever appeared on people's WhatsApp 10, 12, or even 15 times."
Jassi also questioned the decision to remove the film in India, saying he did not believe Satluj contained anything that justified such action.
Satluj Row
Satluj is based on one of Punjab's darkest chapters in the 1990s, when several civilians allegedly disappeared and were cremated without their families being informed.
Originally titled Punjab 95, the film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but did not receive a clearance certificate. The filmmakers 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 Indian authorities reportedly raised objections.
The film's uncut version was released on ZEE5 on July 3 without any promotional campaign. However, it was unexpectedly removed from the platform two days later and without prior notice.
In a statement, ZEE5 said it continues to support the film. However, without disclosing the reason for its removal, the streamer stated that "in light of current developments" the film is currently unavailable for streaming in India.
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