Actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh reacts for the first time after his latest film Satlujoriginally titled Punjab 95It was removed from ZEE5 in India just two days after its release. Although the actor did not directly address the controversy, he shared a powerful social media post to comment on the film’s sudden disappearance from the streaming platform.
Diljit Dosanjh breaks silence after Sutlej was removed from ZEE5: “I thought it would be banned on Monday”
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj Premiere on July 3, 2026 on ZEE5 in its original and unchanged form, bypassing a theatrical release. However, on the evening of 5 July, the platform announced that the film would no longer be available for streaming in India, citing “current developments”.
Diljit Dosanjh shared his first reaction
Diljit first shared a picture on Instagram Satluj With a cryptic but powerful caption. “I challenge the darkness,” he wrote. He also added a message in Punjabi that made a direct comparison between the fate of the film and the life of the man whose story inspired it. “Whatever happened to Satluj also happened to Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalda.”
Soon after, during a live interaction with fans, Diljit opened up about the incidents leading to the film being removed from ZEE5. According to the actor, he had anticipated such a development even before it happened. He said, “My love and respect to all of you. It’s exactly what I had expected. I thought the film might be banned when the offices opened on Monday, but I didn’t know it would happen till Sunday evening.”
Diljit also revealed that the uncertainty over the future of the film affected the team’s promotional strategy. He explained that he deliberately decided not to run an extensive marketing campaign because he feared it could jeopardize the film’s release altogether. Despite the film being removed from streaming in India, the actor expressed satisfaction that audiences at least managed to watch it during the time available.
“But now I am satisfied that at least our work has reached people the way we wanted. People have already downloaded it. One thing that made me especially happy was to see that they are also screening the film with a projector at the Gurdwara Sahib. I was very happy to see this,” amar singh bright the actor shared.
Reflecting on the digital age, Diljit said, “Once something is on the internet, I don’t think it can ever be removed.”
The actor also spoke about the years of effort it took to bring this Satluj For the audience. Describing it as a long and emotionally demanding journey, he revealed that the team had spent about six to seven years working on the project and had faced many obstacles along the way.
He said, “We have been fighting for four years. Who knows, if we get another chance to continue the fight maybe it will come back again. But I am satisfied that the film has finally been released.”
ZEE5 explains why Satluj was removed
Announcing the decision, ZEE5 issued a statement confirming the same Satluj It was withdrawn from the Indian Library until further notice.
“In view of the current developments, Sutlej will not be available in India until further notice. We are committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through the due process to bring the film back to our audiences as soon as possible,” the streaming platform said.
The platform also thanked the audience for their overwhelming response during the brief period the film was available.
The statement read, “We are extremely grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support means a lot to us and everyone who brings this story to life. At ZEE5, we stand strongly with Sutlej and the creative vision behind it. We believe that powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact.”
sutlej dispute
Satluj It is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the alleged extrajudicial killings and illegal mass cremations of thousands of unidentified Sikh youth during Punjab’s militancy era in the 1990s. Khalra later disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1995.
This film was in controversies for years before its release. Reports suggest that the Central Board of Film Certification had demanded over 120 cuts, which included the removal of references to Punjab and the Punjab Police as well as changes to the identity of the real-life hero.
