Bollywood
Government Responds To The Removal of Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj From ZEE5; Sets Up High-Level Committee To Review The Controversial Film
BY SACNILK
Mumbai, July 7 - The Central Government has responded to the controversy surrounding the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's Satluj from ZEE5, stating that the decision was taken in view of national security concerns and issues related to the film's certification process (as per ANI). The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has also constituted a high-level Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) to conduct a detailed review of the film's content. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) According to Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources, the IDC was set up on Monday, a day after ZEE5 took down Satluj from its platform. The committee has been tasked with examining the film, which is inspired by the disappearance of Punjab-based human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, and will assess whether any further action is required under the existing legal and regulatory framework. Explaining the takedown, ANI reported, citing government sources, that the film was released on the OTT platform without completing the mandatory certification process. Officials claimed that the project, which was earlier developed under the title Punjab 95, had faced objections during certification and was released as Satluj without resolving those issues. The Centre maintained that the removal directive was issued in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, Satluj is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and depicts events linked to Punjab during the militancy era. The film premiered on ZEE5 before being removed from the platform following the government's direction, triggering widespread debate over censorship, freedom of expression, and regulatory oversight of OTT content. With the formation of the Inter-Departmental Committee, the government has now initiated a formal review of the film. The committee's findings are expected to play a key role in determining the Centre's next course of action and could influence whether Satluj returns to streaming in the future or faces additional regulatory measures.