Diljit Dosanjh reacts to ‘Satluj’ removal from ZEE5, says ‘It was bound to happen’

Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh has reacted to the removal of his film 'Satluj' from the OTT platform ZEE5, saying he was not surprised by the decision and had anticipated that it would happen sooner or later.

Speaking during an Instagram Live session from the United States, where he is currently on tour, Dosanjh said he expected the film to be taken down after its release. Although he believed the action would come on Monday when offices reopened, the film was removed on Sunday, just two days after its release on the streaming platform.

"We released the film quietly without any promotion because I felt something like this would happen," Dosanjh said. He added that despite its brief availability, he was satisfied that many people had managed to watch and download the film.

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj—originally titled Punjab '95—is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged illegal cremation of unidentified bodies in Punjab before disappearing in 1995. The film had remained unreleased in India for over three years after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly suggested extensive cuts, which the makers declined to accept.

Expressing satisfaction over the public response, Dosanjh said the film had successfully reached its audience despite the restrictions. He urged viewers to continue sharing and watching the film wherever possible, adding that the message the filmmakers wanted to convey had already been delivered.

"The more you try to stop the film, the more people will want to watch it," he remarked, claiming that content once available online is difficult to erase completely.

On Sunday, ZEE5 announced that Satluj would no longer be available for streaming in India "until further notice," citing "current developments" without elaborating on the reasons. The platform, however, said it remained committed to exploring all legal avenues to restore the film for Indian audiences and acknowledged the overwhelming response it had received.

The film had earlier faced multiple hurdles, including the cancellation of its planned world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and the postponement of its proposed global release in February 2025. Produced by Honey Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala, the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.