Entertainment

IIE DIGITAL: The Centre has ordered OTT platform ZEE5 to remove the Diljit Dosanjh-starring film Satluj due to "security concerns" and obligations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, government sources told PTI on Monday. The Honey Trehan-directed film, which is based on the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was released on ZEE5 on Friday. It was taken down from the platform on Sunday evening after the government issued its directive. The film depicts Khalra's investigation into the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab from 1984 to 1994. Khalra, known for exposing alleged human rights abuses during the insurgency, was abducted in 1995 and has not been seen since.

Government sources stated that the film was originally submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 under the title Punjab 95. However, the filmmakers did not accept the 127 cuts recommended by the censor board, which prevented the film from being released in theaters.

Officials mentioned that the filmmakers later released the movie directly on ZEE5 under a different title. While OTT platforms do not require CBFC certification, they must follow Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

"They sat on the suggested cuts and eventually released the movie quietly on OTT with a new title. OTT platforms are not under the CBFC's jurisdiction. When the government learned of the situation, ZEE5 was instructed to take the film down," a government official told PTI.

The official added that the directive was issued due to security concerns, and the streaming platform was told to adhere to its obligations under the intermediary guidelines. "If they want to release the film in theaters and on OTT, they should follow the established norms," the official said.

In response to the news, Diljit Dosanjh said on Monday that the decision was "expected." ZEE5 also asked viewers not to support piracy, noting that many users had already downloaded the film before its removal.

The film's takedown has sparked political reactions in Punjab. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party criticized the decision, arguing that the state's past should not be ignored. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan stated that people deserve to know what happened in Punjab during that time. "What is wrong with showing the truth, and letting the public understand what occurred during those days in Punjab?" he told PTI. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned what he called the "arbitrary removal" of the film, asserting that attempts to hide the suffering of Sikhs would never be successful. He highlighted that courts have convicted several police officers in related cases by questioning how those judicial findings could be overlooked. The removal of Satluj has reignited the debate over the regulation of OTT platforms, freedom of artistic expression and the balance between national security concerns and the representation of sensitive historical events.