The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered the immediate removal of the Diljit Dosanjh film Satluj from the streaming platform ZEE5. The government directive follows allegations that the film was released digitally without obtaining the necessary certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
According to official government communications, the release of the movie violated the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Authorities claim the platform and filmmakers bypassed the mandatory regulatory process entirely, opting for a direct-to-OTT launch this past Friday after failing to reach an agreement with censor board officials.
The production, directed by Honey Trehan and originally titled Panjab 95, has been mired in regulatory disputes for four years. The film serves as a biographical drama centered on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who investigated extrajudicial killings in the Punjab region during the 1990s. While the CBFC initially recommended 27 cuts to the project in 2022, a subsequent revision committee reportedly demanded nearly 120 cuts, leading to a long-standing impasse between the creators and the board.
BJP national spokesperson RP Singh confirmed on Tuesday that Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon had formally raised concerns regarding the content, which led the central government to establish a review committee. Conversely, Niren Bhatt, the film’s co-writer, has publicly pushed back against the ministry’s official statement, citing a total breakdown in communication and what he described as years of stonewalling by the censor board. Bhatt explicitly rejected characterizations of the movie as propaganda.
The current situation highlights the government’s intensifying scrutiny of streaming content. By invoking the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is signaling a move to close the regulatory gap between traditional theatrical releases and digital streaming platforms. This intervention suggests that major digital platforms may face stricter oversight regarding the certification status of exclusive titles before they are made available to the public.