'Satluj' bypassed certification process, violated IT rules: I&B Ministry clarifies

New Delhi: The film Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh and based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was removed from the streaming service ZEE5 just two days after its debut, sparking a wave of criticism from public figures and political leaders.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) stated that the production was released on the OTT platform without undergoing the mandatory certification process. ZEE5 confirmed that the film will remain unavailable in India until further notice.

According to ministry officials, the film lacked the necessary certification for a theatrical release. An official stated, "Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film's title and released it on an OTT platform on Friday."

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The ministry further alleged that the filmmakers bypassed the certification body, which had reportedly recommended nearly 100 edits to the film. Instead of incorporating these changes, the makers allegedly altered the title and proceeded with an OTT release, an action the ministry claims violated the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Officials added that they received no formal representation from the filmmakers seeking approval or reconsideration prior to the launch.

In a statement released on Sunday, ZEE5 confirmed the removal: "In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity."

The move has drawn sharp rebuke from political figures, including senior Congress leader Pargat Singh. He criticised the decision, suggesting a double standard regarding state-aligned media versus films detailing human rights abuses.

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"The real thing is that the propaganda films that the BJP makes, whether it's 'The Kerala Story' or others, are shown wherever elections occur as part of their propaganda. But real-time human rights violations... If such things don't come on a public platform, how will correction occur?" Singh said. "Power should be used, not misused. I say that a criminal should be treated like a criminal. But ultimately, human rights are also every person's right... I think such a movie should never be banned. It should be seen, learned from, to see how people misuse their power."

During an Instagram live session on Monday, lead actor Diljit Dosanjh remarked that the removal was anticipated. "My love and respect to all of you. What I had already expected is exactly what happened. I thought the film might get banned when offices will open on Monday, but I didn't know it would happen as early as Sunday evening," he said.

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Dosanjh noted that he felt a sense of satisfaction that the film had reached the public before its withdrawal. "But now I have the satisfaction that at least our work has reached people the way we wanted it to. People have already downloaded it. One thing that made me especially happy was seeing that they're even screening the movie with a projector at Gurudwara Sahib. It brought me immense joy to see that."

Directed by Honey Trehan and produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures, the film also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

With inputs from ANI