- Satluj was removed from ZEE5 within 48 hours of its July 3 release in uncut form
- Satluj faced censorship issues, with CBFC demanding 127 cuts and a title change
- ZEE5 stated Satluj will remain unavailable in India until further notice
Honey Trehan's Satluj continues to face turbulence after its abrupt removal from ZEE5. Days after the film disappeared from the streaming platform, its IMDb user rating has also been removed, prompting filmmaker Sanjay Gupta to question the credibility of the popular movie database's rating system.
IMDb Removes Satluj's User Rating
Reacting to the development, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to X and criticised IMDb's rating system. Sharing his thoughts, he wrote, "Rated 9.5 till yesterday. Gone today. Not that I ever trusted or believed in IMDB ratings. But this proves how bogus they are."
Why Did The Film Not Release In Cinemas?
The reason behind skipping an Indian theatrical release comes down to censorship. Production house RSVP submitted the film for certification to India's Central Board of Film Certification in late 2022. The six-month process concluded with 21 cuts and a directive to change the title from Ghallughara to Punjab '95.
RSVP challenged the decision in the Bombay High Court. Around the same time, the film was pulled from its planned gala premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
Following the High Court hearing, the film was sent back to a CBFC revising committee. This time, the number of demanded cuts rose from 21 to 127. The makers alleged that the board also asked that the name of the biographical drama's protagonist be changed. When they declined to make those changes, the film continued to face delays for years.
OTT Takedown
Satluj was finally released on ZEE5 on July 3 in an uncut version. However, the film didn't survive long on the streaming platform either and was taken down within 48 hours of release. In a statement shared on Instagram, ZEE5 thanked the viewers for their response to the film.
It read, "The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life.
The OTT giant further said they hope to bring back the film to their platform. "In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity," it said.
Satluj stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan alongside Diljit.
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