Leading star Diljit Dosanjh anticipated a potential ban during a live stream, urging fans to watch or download it quickly. Following its removal, he posted a resilient response, stating, ‘I challenge the darkness’.
Key Points
- The Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj was abruptly removed from Z5 in India on July 5, 2026, just two days after its digital premierE.
- Z5 India cited unspecified ‘current developments’ for the removal but emphasised that they stand firmly by the movie’s creative vision.
- The streaming platform stated it is exploring legal options and appropriate avenues through due process to restore the film to Indian audiences.
The Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj was abruptly removed from Z5 in India on July 5, 2026, just two days after its digital premiere. The film premiered uncut on July 3, 2026, but was pulled down within 48 hours for viewers in India.
Z5 India cited unspecified ‘current developments’ for the removal but emphasised that they stand firmly by the movie’s creative vision. The streaming platform stated it is exploring legal options and appropriate avenues through due process to restore the film to Indian audiences.
The hardhitting biopic on Punjab human activist Jaswant Singh Khalra remains available internationally to audiences outside India via Z5 Global.
The biographical drama was originally titled Ghallughara and later renamed Panjab ’95.
Directed by Honey Trehan, the film chronicles the real-life struggle of prominent Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed mass disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Punjab.
The film spent nearly three years in a fierce battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which had previously demanded up to 127 cuts.
To protect the narrative integrity, the creators skipped a theatrical run entirely to stream it completely uncut online.
Leading star Diljit Dosanjh anticipated a potential ban during a live stream, urging fans to watch or download it quickly. Following its removal, he posted a resilient response, stating, ‘I challenge the darkness’.
Director Honey Trehan is far more vocal.
“I don’t know what to say. I just got to know half an hour ago. I can’t say the move (the film’s removal) is totally, unexpected. Ufortunately, all these things were happening back-to-back. I think we took this call to stream the film on Z5 in just a week and we moved forward. Now we are back to square one.”
Trehan explains the film’s title had to be changed multiple times. “We were not getting the title Panjab 95 technically for some reason, and I never wanted this title becoming a news. So, Satluj, we already had a registered title, so we moved forward with Satluj.”
“Actually, when the title Ghallugara was removed, we were in a hurry to get a title, so we kept Panjab 95 because we were to attend the Toronto film festival at that time. After that for technical reasons, we couldn’t get the title before the release. So, Satluj, it was for Z5. And now, it is not available in India! I am in shock.”
Says Trehan, “I was in a situation where I didn’t get any response from CBFC, nor did my producer. That radio silence was going on for a long time. So, when this opportunity came to us, we went ahead with a digital release.”
“I never cared whether the film entertained. I had to tell the story. And definitely, Jaswant Singh Khalra is our hero. He is a great messiah of human rights for me. And he has lived such an inspiring, motivational, selfless life. This was the opportunity for me to bring this story to light and to bring his story to the world.
“So, when I got this opportunity to finally release it I grabbed it. Because there is no digital censor. This was an opportunity. Or else, we would have been sitting in limbo and waiting for the censor. So, I didn’t think we would be talking about this today because we didn’t know when that wait would end or what would happen.
“And now, this development puts us back to our earlier situation of uncertainty. There’s no telling when the film will now release.”
Honey Trehan says Diljit Dosanjh was the first choice to play Jaswant Singh Khalra. “Diljit was on board from the beginning. The day I gave this idea to Diljit, and when Diljit found out that I was making a film on Jaswant Singh Khalra, I don’t even think he took forty seconds even to think while coming on board.” /p>
“But Diljit, because of the kind of person he is, the kind of personality he has, I mean, as an artist, I don’t think any of my artists have supported me more than Diljit. I think Diljit and my producer Ronnie Screwvala, they both stood by me as the strongest pillar of strength.
“And as much as Ronnie could have done, and as much as Diljit has done for this film, I don’t think I have expected so much from any other actor or seen so much support.
“Although, emotionally, everybody is attached to the film. Even Arjun Rampal… every time, like every second day, he calls or he sends me a text, ‘Bhaji, I love you. I’m missing you.I hope our film comes out soon.’ Everyone is there to support the film.”
“Diljit, from the stage, while addressing 55,000 people in the Vancouver show, there he raised the issue of Panjab 95, talked about it, that this film is not getting a release, the film has been banned… we don’t know why it has been banned… Diljit has supported the film to the best of his ability.
“And even now, after going live for three days, the way he’s engaging with the audience, with the subject, talking about the film, bringing me on live, I think his support is definitely there. 200 percent.”
“If Diljit Dosanjh wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have made this film. Diljit, the kind of personality, and whatever I have heard and read about Khalra, I think they complement each other. So for me, Diljit, doing this film is a blessing.
“At times, it makes you a little bitter. It makes you feel a little bad too. But we all are the part of the same system. I think the people who wanted to stop this, they must have their reasons. But the people who have supported this film, they also have their reasons.
“Our film’s release was more like a healing than a victory. And now that victory is snatched away.”
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff