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Diljit Dosanjh's new film, Sutluj, has faced a new obstacle after a major roadblock.
The new movie, which was previously titled Panjab '95, was abruptly taken down after the Indian Central Board of Film Certification's major objection.
On July 3rd, the film was released on India's most subscribed streaming giant, Zee5; however, a few days after its global premiere, the creators received immediate orders to edit the film.
CBFC reportedly recommended 127 cuts, and watching director Honey Trehan fight one battle after another to release his film.
Sutluj is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Punjab's separatist insurgency - and then he himself disappeared.
He was later found to have been abducted and murdered. Several Punjab police officers were eventually convicted for their role in the killing.
There was a cruel irony to it: a film about erasure, silence and the cost of speaking uncomfortable truths had itself been silenced.
Zee5's official statement
Reacting to the news, Zee5 shared, "Satluj may have paused. But the conversation it started hasn’t. Thank you for the incredible love. We hope to bring it back soon."
Before renaming Panjab '95, the movie was originally called Ghallughara, a Punjabi word that refers to historic massacres of the Sikh people.
What is Diljit Dosanjh's role in Sutluj?
Diljit Dosanjh has portrayed the character of Jaswant Singh Khalra, as the film sees the critical journey of the human rights activist’s campaign to uncover the unlawful killings and disappearances of thousands of Sikhs by Punjab police between 1984 and 1994.
Sutluj was produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies and MacGuffin Pictures, the banner founded by Trehan and Abhishek Chaubey.
Diljit Dosanjh himself has not shared any public statement on the film's controversy; instead, he shared the reviews on his Instagram stories.
As of now, neither the actor nor the team behind the movie has released any update on the film.
