Ever since Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ was released on OTT and removed within 48 hours, there has been a lot of debate and controversy going on around the matter. With the CBFC stating that the film was released uncut on the platform without the completion of the certification process, there has been a lot of backlash online over the delay. According to the latest updates about the film, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has announced that they will be going ahead with a screening of ‘Satluj’ despite the ongoing ‘ban’ on OTT.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee to hold ‘Satluj’ screening
ANI reported that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, also known as the DSGMC has objected to the film’s ban and has instead announced that they will be holding public screenings and seminars of ‘Satluj’ soon.DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka issued a statement about the same, sharing that the film is about activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and his efforts to investigate and uncover the alleged human rights violations and illegal cremations in Punjab that happened in 1995, and that banning the film is not right.His statement further read, “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.”He also confirmed that the commitee is going to be holding screenings of the film, and will also have seminars explaining more details about Khalra’s life at various ediucational institutions. He further 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.”
What is happening with ‘Satluj’
In 2022, Honey Trehan had completed ‘Satluj’ and had applied for certification with the CBFC; however, the process was delayed for almost 4 years. Now, after a lot of struggle, the uncut version was released on ZEE5. The film’s theatrical release was blocked because more than 120 cuts were suggested to the final film, which neither the filmmaker nor Diljit Dosanjh wished for.Two days after being available for streaming, the film was taken down from the platform. The streaming website had also issued a statement about the matter, stating that they were grateful for the support that ‘Satluj’ had been getting and that they are doing everything in their power to get it back on the platform.This was followed by public outrage, along with a lot of people sharing illegal downloading links for the film on social media platforms.
