- Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj was released on ZEE5 after a three-year CBFC delay
- Satluj was removed from ZEE5 two days after its release, sparking social media backlash
- Notable figures like Onir, Harbhajan Singh, Ranvir Shorey, and Varun Grover criticized removal
Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj, based on the 1990s Punjab insurgency era, was released on the OTT platform ZEE5 after being delayed for nearly three years due to a CBFC certification issue. However, just two days after its release, the Jaswant Singh Khalra biopic was taken down from the streaming platform.
This sparked a flurry of reactions on social media. Several well-known personalities also expressed their disappointment after learning about the film's removal. Among those who reacted were Onir, Harbhajan Singh, Ranvir Shorey and Varun Grover.
Filmmaker Onir, who had heaped praise on the film after watching it, shared ZEE5's official statement and wrote, “Very Sad.”
He wrote, “Watched only once and then this thing happened. Infuriating and very very unfortunate.”
Former cricketer and MP Harbhajan Singh reviewed Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj, called it a must-watch, and said, “Truth cannot remain buried forever”.
Taking to his X account, he penned, “Jallianwala Bagh stands as one of history's greatest massacres. It was carried out by a colonial regime. But the question that haunts me after watching Jaswant Singh Khalra is different: When those entrusted to protect their own people are accused of becoming the source of their greatest fear.”
Harbhajan went on to say, “Khalra's courage exposed evidence of alleged illegal disappearances and secret cremations, reminding us that the abuse of state power can leave wounds that last for generations. Punjab's mothers are still waiting for answers. Truth cannot remain buried forever.”
Disappointed after learning about the film's removal from ZEE5, actor Ranvir Shorey wrote, “Utterly disappointing to hear ‘Satluj' had been pulled! Have been waiting to watch it! For a land that has an ancient history and heritage of learning from stories, I don't know why we keep emboldening a culture of burying them.”
Utterly disappointing to hear ‘Satluj' had been pulled! Have been waiting to watch it! For a land that has an ancient history and heritage of learning from stories, I don't know why we keep emboldening a culture of burying them. https://t.co/aee90o6pLT
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) July 5, 2026
Comedian Varun Grover, on the other hand, reposted an X post that read, “Satluj is NOT available anymore on ZEE5! Those who saw it in 24 hours: know how powerful it was! Censorship in such a way is deeply problematic! Movies across the political spectrum should exist: it should be the prerogative of the audience to accept or reject a film!”
#Satluj is NOT available anymore on ZEE5!
— ANMOL JAMWAL (@jammypants4) July 5, 2026
Those who saw it in 24 hours: know how powerful it was!
Censorship in such a way is deeply problematic!
Movies across the political spectrum should exist: it should be the prerogative of the audience to accept or reject a film!
What We Know About Satluj
Made under the direction of Honey Trehan, Satluj charts one of the darkest chapters of Punjab's militant era. It is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh human rights activist who documented the alleged illegal disappearances and secret cremations of Sikhs in the 1990s.