Film on Punjab insurgency draws community screenings after censorship in India
5 verified3 unconfirmed2 contested
A film about human rights abuses during the 1980s and early 1990s insurgency in India’s Punjab state is being shown in villages after the government blocked its release and removed it from a streaming platform. The movie, originally titled “Punjab 95” and later renamed “Satluj,” tells the true story of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated thousands of disappearances and extrajudicial killings by security forces. After failing to secure a theatrical release because of demands for extensive cuts by India’s censor board, the film debuted on the ZEE5 streaming platform in July but was taken down in India two days later on security grounds. In response, Sikh organizations, local activists, and residents have organized community screenings in temple compounds and village halls using copies that circulated online. The screenings have drawn elderly survivors of the insurgency alongside younger generations for whom the conflict is part of family memory. The lead actor, Diljit Dosanjh, who plays Khalra, has said that once audiences have seen the film, “it cannot be erased.”
What’s verified
The film “Satluj” (originally titled “Punjab 95”) is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the Punjab insurgency and was abducted and killed in 1995.
India’s censor board demanded a large number of cuts before the film could be released, preventing a theatrical debut.
After failing at theatrical release, the film premiered on the ZEE5 streaming platform but was removed in India two days later; the government stated the removal was on security and public order grounds.
Community screenings are being organized by Sikh organizations, local activists, and residents in village temples and community spaces using copies that had spread online.
The lead role is played by Bollywood actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Where accounts differ
The number of cuts demanded by India’s censor board is reported differently: one source says more than 120 cuts, while another says 127 cuts.
One source states that the film was removed from ZEE5’s international service as well after it was already taken down in India; the other source mentions only the Indian removal and does not address international availability.
Not yet confirmed
One source reports that the film’s producer received a threatening call from someone affiliated with the Indian government before the Toronto International Film Festival premiere, but this claim is not confirmed by the other source.
The sources do not detail the specific security concerns cited by the government for the film’s removal.
It is not clear from the sources how many community screenings have taken place or the exact number of viewers who have attended.
Key figures
Jaswant Singh Khalra (human rights activist, subject of the film)
Diljit Dosanjh (actor, plays Khalra)
Honey Trehan (director)
Inderjeet Singh Bains (coordinates screenings in Gurdaspur district)
Prasoon Joshi (chair of India’s Central Board of Film Certification, mentioned in one source)
Sources: abcnews.com, vox.com
