'With Punjab till the day I die': Diljit Dosanjh urges fans to circulate downloaded copies of Satluj after ban in India

Diljit Dosanjh has spoken out after his film Satluj, helmed by Honey Trehan, was taken off ZEE5 India just two days after its release. While many viewers were caught off guard by the sudden removal, the actor says he always knew it could happen.

Speaking to fans during a live session yesterday (6 June), Diljit shared that the team intentionally skipped promotions because they feared the film might never be released if its arrival was announced in advance.

He said the biggest goal was to make sure the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra reached people, even if it was only for a short time. During the livestream, he said, "You can trouble me as much as you want. I am with Punjab till the day I die."

Why Satluj was released without any promotion

Satluj, a biographical drama on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, finally premiered on ZEE5 on 3 July after spending nearly four years stuck in censorship issues under its original title, Punjab '95.

But the film's run in India lasted barely two days before it was quietly removed from the platform on 5 July.

Speaking to fans during a live session, Diljit Dosanjh said the team always knew this could happen.

"The incident took place in 1995 and they didn't let people talk about it then. It is happening even today. Hadd ho gayi! I'm a little sad. We're still standing there, this is 2026," Diljit said.

That is why they decided against announcing the release or promoting the film beforehand.

"This was expected from day one, and that is why we couldn't even promote the film and released it without telling anyone. If we had announced the release and promoted it two days prior, it wouldn't have been released at all. But now I am satisfied that the film has reached every household. You have the film, people have downloaded it, and today the new youth is talking about it," the singer-actor said in Punjabi.

The actor shared that he had expected some action once offices reopened after the weekend, but he did not imagine the film would be taken down as early as Sunday evening.

"Where I am right now, it's Sunday evening. The thing that I already suspected might happen on Friday, something that was already on my mind -- so it's not a shock because it seemed likely --yes, I felt that when offices opened on Monday, the film might get banned. But I had no idea it would happen as early as Sunday evening," he added.

He also said that the film has faced hurdles since the beginning.

"It took us 1.5 years to start the film. After the edit, the film was stuck for four years. I was with the film for two years; Honey paaji [Honey Trehan] gave the film six years," he said.

Diljit Dosanjh says the film has already reached the people

Although Satluj was available in India for only about 48 hours, Diljit Dosanjh believes the film had already done what it was meant to do. Speaking during the livestream, he said he was happy that people had watched it, downloaded it and started talking about its story.

"But now I am satisfied that the film has reached every household. You have the film, people have downloaded it, and today the new youth is talking about it. I saw a video -- a very lovely video that I watched after waking up this morning -- where the film is being screened inside a Gurdwara Sahib. So now I am satisfied that the film has reached you. The hard work that everyone put in, it was very important for that effort to reach you, and it has reached you. I am deeply satisfied by this. Glory to the Almighty. I thank everyone and congratulate the entire team because our work, what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it, has reached the people exactly that way," he said further in the livestream.

This was expected from day one, and that is why we couldn't even promote the film and released it without telling anyone. If we had announced the release and promoted it two days prior, it wouldn't have been released at all. But now I am satisfied that the film has reached every household. You have the film, people have downloaded it, and today the new youth is talking about it

Diljit Dosanjh

Diljit also said that once something is out on the internet, it becomes almost impossible to stop people from accessing it. He added that the film now belongs to the audience.

"So now I feel a lot of relief that finally the film is with you. Now it is your film, now it cannot be stopped. This is the people's film now, you can't stop it now. I feel those behind this are innocent or uneducated to think that once something comes online, it can just be deleted like that," he added.

Diljit Dosanjh asks viewers to keep the film alive

Diljit Dosanjh also appealed to everyone who managed to download the film during its brief release in India to pass it on so more people could watch it.

"Now you can share it among yourselves, it's your film. But I'm happy and relieved that the film finally reached the audience. Many people have already downloaded it. Once anything lands online, it never gets deleted. I saw a video from Rajasthan where people are watching the film; I felt very happy. Please show it to your friends and everyone around you," he said.

For Diljit, Satluj is much more than a film. He said the story deserves to reach as many people as possible and encouraged viewers to keep it alive by sharing it with friends and family.

Speaking about the film's long struggle to reach audiences, he reflected on the journey of the last four years: "Everyone has the film. Those who haven't watched it can show it to their friends and companions. As for today, it's Monday; I hear the film is still available abroad, let's see how long it stays. Or if the film comes back somewhere, if they can fight for this cause... we have been fighting for this for the last four years."

He once again urged those who had downloaded the film to help others watch it. He added, "Many people have downloaded the film. Those who haven't watched the film, you share the film with each other."

The long censorship battle behind Satluj

The controversy surrounding the film began years before its release. Originally titled Punjab '95, director Honey Trehan had earlier revealed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked for 127 cuts. These reportedly included removing references to real places such as Tarn Taran and details about the number of alleged extrajudicial killings investigated by Jaswant Singh Khalra.

The version that briefly streamed on ZEE5 was the uncut version and had the support of the Khalra family. After taking the film off its Indian platform, ZEE5 released an official statement saying, "The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film... At ZEE5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact."

The platform further said, "In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity."

While the film has been removed from ZEE5 in India, it continues to stream on ZEE5 Global for international audiences. Now, India awaits for the next response from the platform.