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Taking to his Instagram account on Monday morning, Diljit Dosanjh reacted to the abrupt removal of Satluj from Zee 5, saying it does not come as a shock to him. In his first statement, the actor-singer expressed relief that the film, based on the human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was able to finally reach the audience, even if it was for a short time. He mentioned deliberately skipping promotions and silently releasing the biographical drama on OTT to avoid a pre-release ban on the long-delayed Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan.
Addressing his fans via Instagram live in Punjabi, Diljit said, “I thought the film might get banned when offices open on Monday, but I didn’t know it would happen as early as Sunday evening. That’s why we couldn’t promote the movie. If we had promoted it, the film would definitely not have been released at all”. He added that silently releasing the movie online was the only way it could ever see the light of day.
He added, “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.” He also mentioned watching a video of the film being screened at a Gurudwara in Rajasthan. Taking a bold stance, he said, “Once something is on the internet, I don’t think it can ever truly be deleted.”
Remaining hopeful of the film’s return on the platform, Diljit mentioned, “We’ve been fighting for four years. Who knows, maybe it’ll come back again if we get another chance to continue the fight. But I’m content that the movie is finally out”.
The singer said that though the film, Jaswant Singh Khalra, is once again being discussed in households across the country. He added that the film shows only what has already been discussed in courts. Diljit added, “From 1995 to 2026, it feels like we’re still standing in the same place. Humanity has died, that’s why I’m saddened.”
Also Read: Why Is Everyone Talking About Satluj? The Real-Life Story
On Sunday evening, July 5, the streaming platform took to its social media handles to announce the removal of Satluj. The official statement from the streamer read, “At ZEE5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives.” Announcing the removal, the platform stated, “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.”
