Diljit Dosanjh’s banned film 'Satluj' goes viral via Whatsapp

Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj continued to find viewers outside the country. Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi has now claimed that the film is being circulated widely through WhatsApp, especially among audiences in the United States.

In an interview with NDTV, Jassi said that while Satluj is no longer available on Zee5 India, people in the US and other countries are still able to watch it. He also claimed that the film has been downloaded and shared extensively on WhatsApp.

Jasbir Jassi noted that the film has reached people through informal sharing after its removal from the OTT platform in India. He continued, “People in America can watch it, and so can viewers in the rest of the world. I’ll also tell you that people have shared it on WhatsApp so extensively and downloaded it so many times that I don’t think any film has ever appeared on people’s WhatsApp 10, 12, or even 15 times”.

His comments came amid the ongoing outrage over the film being pulled down from Zee5 India shortly after its release. Jassi also questioned why Satluj was removed from India. According to him, there was nothing in the film that justified such a move.

He further mentioned, “I don’t understand why it was banned. There was nothing in the film that warranted a ban. If any government, agency, or police department believes it portrays the police as helpless, then I would say it is not about helplessness, but about incompetence and serious misconduct”.

The film, directed by Honey Trehan, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and has remained surrounded by controversy for years. Originally titled Punjab 95, the film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification in 2022 but remained stuck in the certification process for nearly three years.

Honey Trehan had earlier alleged that the CBFC asked for 127 cuts in the film. Punjab 95 was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but the screening was cancelled after objections were reportedly raised by Indian authorities.

After years of delays, the film was eventually released on Zee5 on July 3 under the title Satluj. However, it was taken down from the platform in India shortly after its premiere. Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role. The film also features Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.

Despite its removal, the film continues to remain at the centre of public conversation, with several viewers and public figures questioning the decision and demanding clarity over its sudden disappearance from the platform.