Journalists condemn India’s removal of film on slain Sikh activist

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — More than 50 Indian journalists and film critics have condemned the removal of Satluj, a film based on the life of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, from the streaming platform ZEE5, calling the move an example of “executive overreach” and demanding the government explain the legal basis for the decision.

In an open letter addressed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the signatories said the film disappeared from ZEE5’s India catalogue less than 48 hours after its July 3 release despite having bypassed years of censorship battles.

They urged the government to disclose why the film was removed and to make public the findings of an inter-departmental committee that reportedly reviewed the movie.

Satluj, previously titled Punjab ’95, tells the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Punjab human rights activist who documented thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings and secret cremations of Sikh civilians carried out by Punjab Police during years of political violence in the Indian state in the 1980s and 1990s.

Khalra was abducted and killed in 1995 after exposing the alleged abuses, and several police officers were later convicted in connection with his murder.

The film spent nearly four years in certification limbo after India’s Central Board of Film Certification reportedly demanded an escalating number of edits, with the requested cuts rising from 21 to 127 during successive review stages.

Although the film eventually premiered on ZEE5 because streaming releases do not require certification from the board, it was removed from the platform within two days.

The journalists argued that the takedown raises broader concerns about government interference in artistic expression.

They noted that India’s Parliament had previously clarified that films released exclusively on streaming platforms fall outside the jurisdiction of the country’s film certification board and are instead governed by separate digital media regulations.

“The film’s uncut release on ZEE5 was possible because it didn’t need CBFC approval in the first place. That this film could still be taken down through a separate government mechanism is a form of executive overreach,” the statement said. 

The signatories argued that the removal reflected “a sustained effort” to prevent the film from reaching audiences after its international premiere was also reportedly blocked.

The letter further criticized the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal in 2021, saying filmmakers have since been forced into lengthy and expensive court battles to challenge censorship decisions. 

It also accused the Central Board of Film Certification and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry of failing to adequately respond to media inquiries about the film, calling for greater transparency in the certification and streaming regulation process.

The statement was signed by more than 50 journalists and film critics, including Namrata Joshi, Rahul Desai, Meenakshi Shedde, Vishal Menon, Mohar Basu, Priyanka Roy, Suparna Sharma, Shreevatsa Nevatia and S.R. Praveen. It also expressed solidarity with director Honey Trehan, the cast and producers of Satluj.

The latest criticism adds to growing opposition over the film’s removal. In recent days, Sikh organizations have organized community screenings of Satluj in village halls across Punjab, while the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has staged protests demanding that the film be restored to streaming platforms.