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With Satluj pulled from the OTT platform ZEE5 in India, Sikh religious bodies across several regions are defying the move and taking steps to ensure the film’s story still reaches viewers. According to a report by India Today, gurdwaras across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir are planning to host screenings of the film starting tomorrow.

This comes after the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) announced that it would organise public screenings of Satluj, originally titled Panjab '95. It further said that it has directed gurdwara committee members to organise screenings in their respective localities and plans to hold seminars in educational institutions to highlight the life and contributions of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.

Satluj To Be Screened In 3 States And 2 UTs

According to a report by Mid-Day, four gurdwaras will host screenings between July 10 and July 13 in Jammu. A separate screening has been advertised for July 11 at the Baba Fateh Singh Auditorium inside Chandi Ki Taksal Gurdwara in Jaipur, according to posters circulating online.

In Delhi, DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka has backed the grassroots screening effort while also renewing his call for the film to be reinstated on ZEE5.

An SGPC source explained the reasoning behind the initiative, telling Mid-Day that the community was determined not to let the film fade from public memory simply because it disappeared from streaming, adding that gurdwaras were “opening their doors" so people could still watch it.

“Since this film is a biographical portrayal of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it depicts how a social activist opened people's eyes to the truth. He uncovered evidence of 25,000 bodies that had been cremated as 'unclaimed' and raised the issue not only within the country but also internationally, highlighting the dire situation in Punjab. Suppressing this story, preventing the events of that dark era from reaching the public, is deeply wrong, and it has sparked immense outrage across the Sikh community,” news agency ANI quoted DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka as saying.

He added, “We have asked all Gurdwara committee members to download and screen the film in their respective areas to ensure that it reaches the public. Furthermore, we will soon convene a meeting with the chairpersons of our schools and colleges. Seminars on Jaswant Singh Khalra will be organised in every college to discuss his life and legacy. We want people to realise the impact a single social activist can have on society. If one individual can achieve so much, there is no reason why we cannot all work together to do the same.”

Suvinder Vicky On People Holding Screenings

Suvinder Vicky said that people holding screenings of Satluj are organising community screenings of the film, treating it “like seva”.

“When it disappeared from ZEE5, that was an even bigger shock. After waiting for so many years, it finally came out and then suddenly it was gone. We were all happy that people were finally watching it. I spoke to Honey Trehan, but there was nothing anyone could do. He stayed remarkably calm throughout. People are treating it like seva. Many had already downloaded it before it was taken down, and now they're sharing it with others. I have heard that people are taking projectors to villages across Punjab and organising screenings. Just as people do seva during Gurpurab by serving langar or chabeel, they are treating this film the same way. That has truly touched my heart,” Suvinder was quoted by NDTV as saying.

Why Satluj Was Taken Down

Satluj, a biopic centred on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, debuted on ZEE5 on July 3 but was withdrawn just 48 hours later. According to a government official cited by PTI, the film was pulled from the platform over “security concerns”. The Centre invoked provisions under the Information Technology Rules.

It was also reported that the CBFC had recommended 127 cuts for the film before it was quietly released on the platform.

About Satluj

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj features Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in lead roles.

The film had a difficult journey to the screen even before its streaming debut. Completed nearly four years ago, it was first submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification under the title Ghallughara and was reportedly cleared with 21 cuts, along with instructions to rename it Panjab '95.

After the makers challenged that decision in court, the film went before the CBFC's revising committee, which is said to have demanded a much steeper 127 cuts, including changing the name of the central character, Jaswant Singh Khalra. The production team refused to comply, which pushed back the film's Indian release for years.

It eventually reached audiences uncut on ZEE5 on July 3, only to be pulled two days later.