Niren Bhatt, writer of the Diljit Dosanjh film ‘Satluj’, has spoken out about the film’s removal from Zee5. He raised concerns about the lack of communication surrounding the entire process, calling it deeply frustrating.
‘Satluj’, directed by Honey Trehan, released on Zee5 on Friday without any prior announcement. The film was earlier titled Panjab 95 and had already spent four years caught up in disputes with censor authorities. Just two days after its quiet release, the film disappeared from the platform, again without explanation.
Writer speaks out on the silence
Bhatt co-wrote the film alongside Utsav Maitra and director Honey Trehan. In a new interview with Variety India, he addressed the situation directly.
He said he believes someone within the establishment has a serious problem with the film. According to him, the bigger issue is not the objection itself, but the complete absence of communication around it.
Bhatt described years of what he called pure stonewalling. He said there has been total silence from the Central Board of Film Certification. According to him, the board has never explained what exactly troubles them about the film, which specific parts they find objectionable, or who is actually making these decisions.
He pointed out that even now, Zee5 has only issued a vague statement referencing current developments, without clarifying what those developments actually are. Bhatt said if there is a genuine problem with the film, there should be a proper conversation about it. He questioned how any dialogue can happen when a film simply gets silently pulled without warning.
Government cites security concerns
On Tuesday, a PTI report shed some light on the situation, citing a government source. According to this source, the film was removed due to security concerns.
The official told PTI that filmmakers had kept sitting on suggested cuts for a long time. Eventually, the film was quietly released on OTT under a new title. Since OTT platforms do not fall under CBFC jurisdiction, this route allowed the film to bypass that process.
The source explained that once the matter came to the government’s attention, Zee5 was directed to take the film down. This direction was given specifically due to security concerns. The platform was also asked to follow its obligations under intermediary guidelines.
Bhatt pushes back on ‘anti-India’ claims
According to media reports, there were fears within the administration that the film could be used by anti-India elements as a form of propaganda.
Bhatt firmly disagrees with this reasoning. He pointed to other films that have dealt with politically sensitive subjects in the past. He specifically mentioned The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story, asking why those films were allowed to exist without being labeled as tools for international forces.
Also, he questioned why his film in particular has been singled out as something that could suddenly be misused by extreme elements. According to Bhatt, jumping to such far reaching and paranoid conclusions makes little sense, especially when the film is essentially a straightforward biography. He said suppressing the film on these grounds simply does not add up.