ZEE5 has pulled Satluj from its international library following its domestic ban in India.
The movie, starring Diljit Dosanjh and directed by Honey Trehan, was previously titled Punjab '95.
The film was taken down in India within 48 hours of its premiere due to government directives over certification issues.
Satluj row: Streaming platform ZEE5 has removed Honey Trehan's Satluj (previously titled Punjab '95) from its international library. This comes after the film's domestic ban in India. The movie, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, premiered last Friday (July 3) was released on the OTT platform after four years of censorship delays. However, it was removed in India within 48 hours of its release.
The film had remained accessible overseas until this recent development. When SCREEN asked Trehan about the global takedown, he said, "Yes."
Satluj global takedown triggers backlash
The global takedown triggered massive backlash online. Social media users on platforms like X and Reddit wrote that the movie is no longer available outside India. On X, one user wrote, "So it’s been removed internationally as well." One Reddit post read, "Satluj has now been removed from Zee5 internationally as well. As the title says, Satluj is no longer available on Zee5 outside of India."
Satluj's pirated versions quickly surfaced online following the ban in India. The film appeared on various platforms, including YouTube.
A Reddit user edit read, "Edit: I know it is available via other platforms/methods. The post is meant to highlight the fact that efforts to censor and remove the film are still ongoing. They didn’t stop at just removing the film within India, but instead have continued to apply pressure until the film was removed in international markets as well."
Some users noted the unintended consequences of the ban. "They’re making it more popular by banning it everywhere. I have non-Punjabi friends who only heard about it after the ban and are watching it as a result," wrote one Reddit user.
Another user commented, "Just checked yes, it’s not available anymore. The movie is out already, they can’t stop it. people have been sending it to each other already. someone put it on YouTube. But I feel bad for the sincere effort of the filmmakers, they deserved to earn a dime out of it."
About Satluj ban row
After the removal, ZEE5 issued a formal statement that read: "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."
An official spokesperson for co-producer Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies told SCREEN, "The government has pulled it down," but expressed hope that the film would be back to streaming soon.
A government official stated that the makers released the film directly on OTT under a new title without having CBFC certification. "OTT does not come under the CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the government’s notice, Zee was asked to take it (the film) down. The direction was given due to security concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theatres and OTT, they should follow the laid down norms," the official said.
