Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ was removed from OTT within two days of its release and it created a huge stir on the internet. As per the latest update on the matter, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the film’s restoration on ZEE5. The petition comes just days after the film was pulled from the streaming platform less than 48 hours after its release. It contends that the takedown infringed upon the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, questions the lack of any publicly disclosed legal justification, and calls for greater transparency from the authorities.The PIL is the latest twist in the row over ‘Satluj’, which is inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Since its removal, the film has drawn criticism from members of the film industry, Sikh organisations and civil liberties groups. Advocate Hakam Singh said the petition had been filed by Shravan Singh, a Punjab resident and ZEE5 subscriber, in the interest of the public.“The film Sutlej, which was released on the ZEE5 platform on the 3rd, was removed on the 5th. The petitioner has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stating that this amounts to a violation of Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. The petitioner has demanded that the film be restored on the platform and allowed to be streamed again,” he told IANS.He further said the petition questions why the film was removed without any explanation being made public.“The PIL has been filed by Shravan Singh, a ZEE5 subscriber and a citizen of Punjab, raising issues related to public interest. He has questioned the grounds on which the film was removed without any prior notice or transparent findings.”According to Hakam Singh, although the Centre has constituted a three-member committee to examine the issue, the reasons for halting the film’s streaming have not been disclosed.“A three-member committee has also been formed by the Centre in this matter, but the reasons behind stopping the film have not been made public. We hope the petition will come up for hearing by tomorrow or the next working day.” Originally titled ‘Punjab 95’, ‘Satluj’ finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after remaining unreleased for nearly four years. However, it was taken down from the platform in India on July 5.As per PTI, the Centre instructed ZEE5 to remove the film, citing “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.The dispute dates back to 2022, when the filmmakers submitted the project to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) under its original title, ‘Punjab 95’. The certification process reportedly came to a standstill after the makers declined to implement 127 cuts suggested by the board.A government official told PTI that the producers chose to release the film directly on an OTT platform under a different title without resolving the pending certification issues.“They kept sitting on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government’s notice, ZEE was asked to take the film down. The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and on OTT, they should follow the laid-down norms,” the official said.
