- Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh, was removed from ZEE5 two days after its release in India
- The film depicts the life and disappearance of Sikh activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in the 1990s
- Writer Niren Bhatt denies anti-national claims and hopes the film will return to ZEE5 soon
Honey Trehan's Punjab '95 quietly arrived on ZEE5 last Friday with a new title Satluj. Starring Diljit Dosanjh in the role of Sikh rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Hindi film was taken down by the streamer within two days of its premiere. While a section of social media users is debating over censorship and freedom of expression in India, there is another segment that's calling the takedown of the film in India 'a marketing stunt'.
Satluj writer Niren Bhatt spoke to NDTV in an exclusive interview dismissing such allegations and saying the team hoped the film would travel far and wide through positive word of mouth, similar to Main Vaapas Aaunga.
"This (removing the film after two days on ZEE5) is not a marketing stunt. Every producer wants the film to recover the budget of the film they are making. The first wish was that the film be released in theatres. We made the film for theatres and hoped that the film would travel well through word of mouth like Main Vaapas Aaunga. That wish couldn't come true. Then the film came on OTT," the screenwriter said.
Every platform wants that the film it carries to drive subscriptions and views, he added.
"They hoped to show the film's promos during FIFA. ZEE5 was also getting the benefit. Many praised the platform for getting this film out. Platform also has a business to run. This is not a stunt," said Niren Bhatt, who co-wrote Satluj with Honey Trehan and Utsav Maitra.
The writer, also known for penning films such as Stree 2, Thamma, Bala, and several episodes of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, said he is hopeful that Satluj will return to the streamer soon. Meanwhile, the film is available to ZEE5 subscribers abroad.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted a high-level interdepartmental committee (IDC) to examine the contents of Satluj days after its takedown. Amid its India ban, the film has already reached peoples homes, phones, and hearts through piracy mediums via WhatsApp, Torrentz, and Telegram.
Niren Bhatt, who maintains that the film doesn't have anything "objectionable" in it, appealed to the audience to watch Satluj on ZEE5 when it resumes streaming.
"If you look at it from a legal point of view or any other point of view, no one will find anything offensive about the film. It should get restored soon. It will start streaming again... The streaming should not have stopped in the first place. It's spreading through word of mouth. People are sharing widely on social media and are having an emotional reaction to the film," he said.
Satluj is inpired by the life and disappearance of Jaswant Singh Khalra, played by Diljit Dosanjh in the film. It film depicts extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances by the Punjab Police in the 1990s. Jaswant Singh Khalra, a banker-turned-activist, was known for exposing cases of alleged killings and secret cremations.
"Because people abroad are already watching the film on ZEE5, viewers here will also automatically be curious about it. Fear of missing out is driving the word of mouth for the film. And, that's why people take to other (illegal) platforms to watch the film. I personally feel the film will soon get clearance and it will start streaming again. So I request people to wait and watch the film officially," Niren Bhatt added.
The writer also reacted to the claims of Satluj being labelled as 'anti-India' or 'anti-national'. Government sources previously told NDTV that the movie was removed from the streamer as certain portions in Satluj could be misused by "anti-India forces".
In his response, Niren Bhatt told NDTV, "We don't know who has said so (called the film anti-national)."
"But the reaction of the people who have watched the film is the same, that it is a human story. It is the story of a bank employee who is seeking justice for those men who went missing, he's fighting for their death certificate. This is a human cause. This shows the victory of the Indian judiciary. People who killed Jaswant Singh Khalra are penalised. This is the story of hope, peace and humanity. I don't understand why anyone would find anything anti-national about it," he said.
The writer is keeping his fingers crossed about Satluj's return to ZEE5 and hoping the film reaches its audiences as it's meant to be once again.
Also Read | 127 Cuts To An 'Uncut' OTT Version: How Satluj Released On ZEE5 Without Censorship