Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ was pulled from OTT just two days after its release and created a huge buzz on the internet. According to the latest updates in the matter, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the restoration of the film on ZEE5. The petition comes just days after the film was pulled from the streaming platform less than 48 hours after its release. It argued that the move violated the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, questioned the lack of legal basis for any public disclosure and called on authorities to be more transparent.The PIL is the latest twist in the ‘Satluj’ controversy, inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Since being removed from shelves, the film has drawn criticism from members of the film industry, Sikh organizations and civil liberties groups.Advocate Hakam Singh said the petition was filed by Shravan Singh, a resident of Punjab and a ZEE5 user, in public interest.“The movie ‘Sutlej’, which was released on the ZEE5 platform on the 3rd, was removed from the shelves on the 5th. The petitioners requested that the movie be restored on the platform and allowed to be played again,” he told IANS.He further said that the petition questions why the film was removed without any explanation.“The PIL was filed by Shravan Singh, a ZEE5 subscriber and a citizen of Punjab, raising issues of public interest. He challenged the rationale for the removal of the film without any prior notification or transparent findings.”Harkam Singh said that although the Center has formed a three-member committee to look into the issue, it has not revealed the reason why the film has been stopped.“The Center has also formed a three-member committee on the matter, but the reason for the suspension of filming has not been made public. We hope that the petition will be heard tomorrow or the next working day.” “Satluj”, originally titled “Punjab 95”, finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after not being released for nearly four years. However, it was removed from the Indian platform on July 5.According to PTI, the Center directed ZEE5 to delete the video citing “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.The controversy dates back to 2022, when the filmmakers submitted the project to central board of film certification (CBFC) takes its original name “Punjab 95”. The certification process reportedly stalled after manufacturers refused to implement 127 cuts recommended by the committee.A government official told PTI that the producers chose to release the film directly on OTT platforms under a different title without resolving the pending certification issues.“They have been oblivious to the editing suggestions and finally released the film quietly on OTT under a new title. OTT does not come under the jurisdiction of the CBFC. When the matter was informed by the government, ZEE was asked to take down the film. This instruction was given due to security concerns. OTT platforms were asked to adhere to their obligations under intermediary guidelines. If they want to release the film in theaters and on OTT, then it is the norms laid down by the official.
