Satluj Streams Uncut on ZEE5 After Certification Fight

A film based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra has been released on the streaming platform ZEE5 after years of delays and a protracted battle with India's film certification board. Titled "Satluj," the Hindi-Punjabi feature stars Diljit Dosanjh and premiered on the platform on July 3.

The film chronicles Khalra's investigation into the enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings of thousands of Sikh youths by Punjab Police during the state's insurgency period in the 1980s and 1990s. Khalra's work sought to account for more than 25,000 people who had gone missing. In 1995, he was himself abducted and murdered. Years later, several police officers were convicted for his killing.

"Satluj" faced significant hurdles in reaching audiences. Originally bearing different titles, the project was pulled from a planned premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, with sources at the time citing political factors. It then encountered extensive demands for cuts from India's Central Board of Film Certification, which reportedly requested over 120 alterations. The filmmakers appealed the ruling.

Director Honey Trehan stated that the version now...