Jaswant Singh Khalra today: Satluj faces government review after India takedown

Last updated: July 7, 2026, 4:04 a.m. IST

For US viewers, the dispute matters because Satluj remains available outside India, keeping a film about Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra accessible to international and diaspora audiences while its future in India is under official review. The Diljit Dosanjh drama was removed from ZEE5 in India two days after its July 3 release. India’s information and broadcasting ministry has now referred the film to an interdepartmental committee after directing the platform to take it down, according to Hindustan Times reporting on the review.

The Backstory

Khalra investigated allegations that people who disappeared during Punjab’s insurgency-era crackdown had been secretly cremated as unidentified or unclaimed bodies. India Today reported that he compared municipal cremation registers with firewood purchase records and publicly released findings on January 16, 1995.

On September 6, 1995, Khalra was abducted outside his home in Amritsar. The Supreme Court later ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into his disappearance and the wider cremation allegations. Six Punjab Police officials were eventually convicted in his abduction and murder case, and the Supreme Court upheld life sentences for all six in 2011, according to India Today’s account of the case.

CBFC

India’s film certification board, which reviews movies intended for theatrical release.

Section 69A

A provision of India’s IT Act that allows the government to direct the blocking or removal of online content on specified grounds.

IDC

The Inter-Departmental Committee that reviews content-related complaints under India’s digital media rules.

Here's What Happened

The film, directed by Honey Trehan, was completed in 2022 but spent years in a certification dispute. It was first known as Ghallughara, then Punjab ’95, before arriving on streaming as Satluj. Trehan said objections grew from 21 proposed changes to 127, while the filmmakers resisted releasing what they considered a compromised version.

The project bypassed cinemas and premiered uncut on ZEE5 on July 3. By Sunday evening, July 5, it had disappeared from the platform in India. The Indian Express reported that the information and broadcasting ministry sent ZEE5 a notice citing security concerns and obligations under the 2021 IT Rules.

The next step is an official review. Hindustan Times reported that the ministry referred the film to the IDC, a committee with representatives from several government departments that can make recommendations on content complaints. The specific findings of that review and any timeline for a decision have not been disclosed.

What People Are Saying

Dosanjh, who portrays Khalra, said he had expected the film to face removal, though not as quickly as it did. He expressed relief that viewers had at least been able to see it after years of delays.

My love and respect to all of you. What I had already expected is exactly what happened. I thought the film might get banned when [government] offices opened on Monday, but I didn't know it would happen as early as Sunday evening.

ZEE5 said it still supports the film and hopes to restore access. The platform stated: “In light of current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice.” Director Honey Trehan told The Indian Express that he learned of the removal on Sunday evening and said, “I am at a loss right now. I don't know how to react to this development.”

The Bigger Picture

The dispute has pushed Khalra’s case back into public discussion three decades after his disappearance. According to NDTV, the CBI identified 2,097 cremations at three cremation grounds in Amritsar district during the wider investigation. The film itself presents Khalra’s work as a broader pursuit of accountability for people who disappeared during Punjab’s conflict years.

For audiences in the US, the practical effect is different from inside India: Variety and Deadline reported that the film remains available internationally through ZEE5 Global. Variety also quoted a ZEE executive describing North American South Asian audiences as an important audience for stories connected to the subcontinent’s history and public life. That gives the controversy a direct diaspora dimension rather than leaving it as a purely domestic Indian media dispute.

The Road Ahead

The confirmed next step is the IDC examination. No public deadline has been announced for its recommendation, and ZEE5 has not said when the film could return to viewers in India.

Outside India, the film remains available through ZEE5 Global. The central unresolved question is whether the government review will permit a return in India, require changes or keep the current restriction in place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Satluj removed from ZEE5 in India?

The Indian Express reported that India’s information and broadcasting ministry asked ZEE5 to remove the film, citing security concerns and obligations under the 2021 IT Rules.

Who was Jaswant Singh Khalra?

He was a human rights activist who investigated allegations of secret cremations and disappearances during Punjab’s insurgency period. He was abducted in 1995 and later found to have been murdered.

What happens to Satluj now?

The film has been referred to an interdepartmental government committee for examination. No decision date has been announced.

Can people in the US still watch Satluj?

Yes. Variety and Deadline reported that the film remains available outside India through ZEE5 Global.

Why did the film take years to release?

The filmmakers spent years in a dispute over certification, title changes and proposed edits. They eventually released the film directly on streaming under the title Satluj.