film producer Ram Gopal Varma Already expressed support Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’, originally titled ‘Punjab ’95’, was removed from the OTT platform two days after its OTT premiere. The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Kalra, was finally released on the platform on July 3 after years of delays.Ram Gopal Varma, while reviewing the film, described Satluj as a bold and necessary film. He urged authorities not to suppress the film, saying it courageously revisited one of the darkest chapters in India’s history without relying on sensationalism. He wrote, “Just watched SATLUJ, and it’s not a movie, it’s a deep wound that will never heal. It stirred up the filth of one of the darkest chapters in our history. This is a movie made for confrontation, and @diljitdosanjh’s performance was delivered with quiet rage, no chest-thumping heroism.”. His only weapons are his ledger and his conscience. @rampalarjun adds a layer of moral turpitude to institutional complicity that feels very realistic. ” He also praised director Honey Rehan’s restrained narrative approach, saying the film’s impact comes from authenticity rather than exaggerated drama. “Rather than playing up the horror, director @honeytrehan unfolds the film like a slow-burn investigative thriller, through bureaucratic archives, cremation transcripts, and hushed conversations. This restraint allows the brutality of the subject matter to hit harder because it explodes with the power of truth rather than the power of exploitation.” The philosophical core of the film is about how a democracy eats its own citizens and then tries to erase the evidence, but without any moralizing, which is not a normal achievement,” he added.Talking about the controversy surrounding the film’s removal from OTT platforms, Varma said the development only highlighted the importance of “Satluj”. He added that when art challenges those in power, it fulfills its purpose.“The various issues surrounding its exhibition and publication prove that any art that makes the powerful uncomfortable has done its job, which is what real art is really about, and SATLUJ is just that. It’s incredibly brave filmmaking because it’s disturbing, educational, and haunting. “In an era of mainstream spectacle and popcorn movies, SUTLEJ is a powerful reminder of what the medium of film can truly achieve when it is presented with truth and honesty. ‘SATLUJ’ is a film that must be seen, shown, discussed, debated, but not suffered in the way that the victims in the film are,” he wrote.The filmmaker concluded his post with an emotional appeal, urging authorities not to let the film stop. “My appeal to all powers that be is please do not do to Satluji what was done to Jaswant Singh Kalra. The truth hits harder when one tries to hide it. – Ayn Rand.”Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan, finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3, after nearly four years of delays and a lengthy certification hurdle that derailed its release plans. However, the film was removed from the streaming platform just two days after its release.
