Movie ‘Satluj’ Floods Panjab’s Villages, Indian Cities & Diaspora

July

2026

After the movie 'Satluj'—named after Panjab’s major river—was withdrawn from the Over-The-Top channel Zee5 within 48 hours of its release, Panjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Kewal Dhillon announced the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had constituted a three-member committee to review the circumstances behind the removal of the movie, after the BJP criticism for its removal from the platform. On 11 Jul, the committee recommended the ban must continue on its public access through online streaming platforms as the movie allegedly goes against India's sovereignty and integrity. Zee5 Global also stopped access to the movie worldwide. The movie's 9.7 star rating from IMDb has also been erased. The movie's reviews from YouTube are being removed. Meanwhile, the ban on the movie has started a ‘movie langar sewa’ (distribution service). ‘Satluj’ has acquired a life of its own. The movie has privately been seen by a large number of viewers. It is also repeatedly being screened in many villages across Panjab, Indian cities, and in the Panjabi diaspora spaces world over. Since the movie’s protagonist Human Rights activist Sardar Jaswant Singh Khalra is a shahid (martyr), the movie has acquired a religious fervor. While most screenings are open air or in community halls and in Gurdwaras where sangat (community) gathers. However, screenings inside Gurdwaras might be setting a wrong precedent because the movie has scenes of alcohol, cigarettes, and abusive language, and also because other filmmakers might want to show their general films in Gurdwaras. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee decided to not screen the movie at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj and is facilitating screenings around the city. Police were present at some venues in Delhi where the movie was screened. However, there has been not a single incidence of violence. Instead, the response has been tears, catharsis, and a commitment that Panjab will never go back to the days of militancy. Audiences are heaving a sigh of relief that now the world knows the pain and suffering of its people, and the movie is an acknowledgment of their pain. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Sharwan Singh has filed a petition at the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the restoration of the movie on the Zee5 channel because it was withheld without disclosure of any statutory, judicial, or governmental order (earlier coverage).