The sudden removal of ‘Satluj’ from ZEE5 has sparked fresh debate, with actor Kanwaljit Singh becoming the latest member of the film’s team to voice his disappointment. The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, had quietly premiered on the streaming platform on Friday evening without any promotional campaign. While it quickly received positive reviews from viewers, it was taken down within 48 hours, leaving audiences and the makers seeking answers.Kanwaljit, who portrays a police chief in the film, questioned the decision to remove it from the platform and raised concerns about freedom of expression.“I spoke to Honey after the film was taken down, and he has said that they shall be taking the matter to court. But what I don’t understand is why did they have to take it off? Even people who weren’t going to see it will want to see it now. It has also been downloaded by so many people, so even though lots of people would be watching it, the producers shall be losing out. But I want to ask, what is this freedom of speech? Tell me, I really want to know. That right is being strangled,” he said in an interview with Free Press Journal. Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Satluj’ stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead and is inspired by the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra. Originally titled ‘Punjab ’95’, the film remained unreleased for nearly four years due to certification hurdles. After a prolonged battle over CBFC clearance, it finally debuted on ZEE5, with Diljit previously revealing that the version released on the platform was completely uncut.Produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, the film also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in pivotal roles.
