Diljit Dosanjh on Satluj removal: Diljit Dosanjh has spoken for the first time after his film Satluj disappeared from ZEE5 India just two days after its release. During a live interaction with fans, the actor said the team had always feared this could happen. That is why they chose not to announce the release or promote the film in advance.

The film, directed by Honey Trehan, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. It had remained stuck for years because of censorship issues before finally arriving on ZEE5 on July 3. However, it was removed from the platform on July 5. Diljit says the team expected the film to face trouble

Speaking during the livestream, Diljit said the decision to release the film quietly was taken after careful thought. According to him, if the makers had promoted the film before its release, it might never have reached viewers.

He said the main aim was to ensure that people could watch the film, even if it remained available for only a short period.

Referring to the events shown in the film, Diljit said the incident happened in 1995 and people were not allowed to speak openly about it then. He added that even today, the situation has not changed much, which he found disappointing.

During the session, he also said, "You can trouble me as much as you want. I am with Punjab till the day I die."

Happy that people watched and downloaded the film

Although Satluj was available in India for only around 48 hours, Diljit believes the film achieved its purpose.

He said he was satisfied because many people had already watched it and downloaded it. He added that young viewers have started discussing the story and that he even saw a video of the film being screened inside a gurdwara, which made him happy.

According to Diljit, once a film reaches the internet, it becomes difficult to stop people from accessing it. He said the film now belongs to the audience and that people should continue sharing it with others.

He also appealed to those who had downloaded the film to help friends and family watch it so that the story could reach more people.

A journey filled with delays

Diljit also spoke about the long struggle behind the project. He said it took around one and a half years before the film even went on floors. After it was completed, it remained stuck for nearly four years. The actor added that he spent about two years working on the project, while director Honey Trehan dedicated almost six years to bringing it to life.

He admitted that he had expected some action after government offices reopened following the weekend. However, he did not think the film would be taken down as quickly as it was on Sunday evening.

The film was originally titled Punjab '95 and has faced censorship issues for several years.

Earlier, director Honey Trehan had revealed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had suggested 127 cuts. These reportedly included removing references to real locations and details linked to the investigation carried out by Jaswant Singh Khalra.

The version that briefly streamed on ZEE5 was the uncut version and had the support of Khalra's family.

ZEE5 says it hopes to bring the film back

After removing Satluj from its Indian platform, ZEE5 released a statement thanking viewers for their support. The platform said it stood by the film and its creative vision.

It also confirmed that Satluj would remain unavailable in India until further notice while it explores legal options to restore the film on the platform.

At present, the film continues to stream on ZEE5 Global for audiences outside India.