'Rated 9.5 till yesterday': Sanjay Gupta slams IMDb as Satluj's rating vanishes after ZEE5 takedown

The controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj has taken another turn. Days after the film was removed from ZEE5 India, its user rating on IMDb also disappeared, prompting filmmaker Sanjay Gupta to question the credibility of the popular online movie database.

The development comes after the film's brief digital release and its long-running struggle with censorship, which has kept it away from audiences for several years.

Sanjay Gupta reacts to missing IMDb rating

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta shared his reaction on X after noticing that Satluj's IMDb user rating was no longer visible.

Expressing his disappointment, he wrote, "Rated 9.5 till yesterday. Gone today. Not that I ever trusted or believed in IMDb ratings. But this proves how bogus they are."

His post quickly drew attention online, with many users discussing the film's removal from both the streaming platform and the ratings section on IMDb.

Why the film never had an Indian theatrical release

Satluj’s release has been delayed for years because of certification issues.

Produced by RSVP, the project was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) towards the end of 2022. After a certification process that lasted around six months, the board reportedly asked for 21 cuts and instructed the makers to change the film's title from Ghallughara to Punjab '95.

The producers challenged the decision in the Bombay High Court.

Around the same period, ‘Satluj’ also lost its scheduled gala premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Number of suggested cuts increased

Following proceedings in the High Court, the film was referred to the CBFC's revising committee.

According to the makers, the committee increased the number of requested edits from 21 to 127. They also alleged that the board wanted the name of the film's central character to be changed.

The team chose not to make the suggested changes, resulting in the project remaining unreleased for several more years.

Brief release on ZEE5

After years of uncertainty, ‘Satluj’ finally premiered on ZEE5 on 3 July in its uncut version.

However, the film remained available for less than 48 hours before it was removed from the streaming platform.

In a statement posted on Instagram, ZEE5 thanked viewers for the response the film had received.

The streaming platform also said it hopes to make the film available again after completing the required process.

Cast of Satluj

‘Satluj’ features Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role alongside Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.