Diljit DosanjhThe film spent almost three years behind delays, title changes and fighting. The drama, which was earlier titled ‘Punjab 95’, went on air on OTT on July 3 after a huge fight with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Incidentally, despite years of struggle, the film was released without the cuts that its producers had refused for a long time. Interestingly, the film changed two names before reaching this point: first it was announced as ‘Ghallughara’, then it was called ‘Punjab’ 95′ at the time of certification, before it was released as Satluj, after the river that runs through Punjab.
Diljit Dosanjh confirms that the film has not been cut
The key question for the film’s release was whether the makers followed the CBFC’s demands. Diljit has now dispelled those thoughts, proving that he did not. In an Instagram Live session on Friday, shortly after ‘Satluj’ went on air, the actor said the film was released in its original, unedited form. “Our film has finally been released on Zee5. Unfortunately, we could not keep the original title Punjab 95 for some reason, so now it is called Satluj. But there are absolutely no cuts in the film. The version I saw in theaters two years ago is exactly the same as the one I saw at home last week. If it had been cut even once, I wouldn’t have recommended the film,” the singer said in an Instagram post on Friday.
Honey Trehan confirms the claims of an unedited film
Director Honey Trehan also spoke about the story during the unveiling, sharing that Paramjit Kaur Khalra, wife of late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, watched the film a second time after its release and confirmed that it was exactly the same. “Paramjit’s aunt also shared her post about the film and said it was the same version she had seen earlier. Only the title has changed,” he said. He also insisted that the team remained strong throughout the certification process, adding, “Everything that I objected to, every word that I refused to cut or not speak, is still in the film.“
‘Satluj’s long and tiring battle with CBFC
“Satluj’s” problems began when it was first submitted to the CBFC in late 2022, triggering a long process of merging licenses. Instead of going to franchise, the film hit one roadblock after another as the team continued to push for new releases. According to reports, the CBFC demanded 127 changes, including changing the director’s name, cutting the shot of the Indian flag, and removing references to the Punjab police. Honey had previously spoken about how exhausting the process was, explaining that every time the producers spoke against and resubmitted the film, another list sat on their desk. Things got worse, and the elder said that it was better to remove his name altogether than to cut it off.
The real story behind ‘Satluj’
The film is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who investigated the disappearance of thousands of Sikh youth during the war years in Punjab through the 1980s and 1990s. While going through crematoria across the state, Khalra found evidence pointing to illegal cremation by alleged perpetrators. His research drew international attention to the issue and helped document the disappearance of more than 25,000 people. On September 6, 1995, Khalra was abducted by the Punjab Police from outside his home in Amritsar’s Kabir Park. He is said to have been tortured and killed, and his body is said to have been dumped in the Harike canal. In 2005, a Patiala court found several police officers involved in the case guilty, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court agreed with the court’s decision and sentenced them to life in prison.
Satluj problems beyond India
‘Satluj’ also faced problems outside India. It was supposed to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but it was pulled from the schedule just one day before the screening. Variety quoted a source as saying that “politics were at play,” but the festival did not give a reason. Meanwhile, in India, the delay increases. ‘Satluj’ was originally slated to release in theaters in February 2025, but that didn’t happen again, as the film was stuck in license production. Directed by Honey Trehan, the film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies along with MacGuffin Pictures. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun RampalKanwaljit Singh, Suvinder VickyGeetika Vidya Ohlyan and Varun Badola.