Amid controversy surrounding ‘Satluj’, director Dear Trehan has denied the allegations that its Diljit Dosanjh-starrer is a propaganda film that may disturb communal harmony. Talking about the controversy surrounding the film, the director claimed that the local response told a different story and claimed that Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab have been watching the film together peacefully. Trehan said “Satluj” was never intended to anger the audience and there was no reason to ban it.“Is there any basis for this claim? They say my film may harm the law and order situation in Punjab. On the contrary, my film actually unites Punjab. You go to Punjab and people are watching movies together. They say my film polarizes society and divides Hindus and Sikhs, but in fact, Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab are watching the film together. This is not meant to piss anyone off. My film is a balm for the wounds of those who have suffered so much… I don’t see any reason to ban it,” the director told The Indian Express.Trehan further argued that the controversy did not escalate until the government intervened, insisting that viewers had been watching the film peacefully before it was removed from the platform.“For the first 48 hours, people were watching my film peacefully at home. There was no problem. But the government banned the film and now it has become a movement. It has been 10 days; everyone is watching the film in peace and harmony and ‘langar’ is being provided to them,” he continued. Questioning the disparate treatment of films accused of delivering political messages, the filmmaker said “Satluj” should have the same opportunity to reach out to the audience.“Even if you say my film is a propaganda film, let it be released like you release any other promotional film. Why treat it differently? We are a very big country. One film cannot harm the fabric of our society,” Trehan concluded.“Satluj” premiered on India’s ZEE5 on July 3, but was removed from the platform within 48 hours. The Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting later clarified that the film was released without completing the mandatory certification process. According to the Centre, the OTT version did not comply with the required regulatory norms and ZEE5 was subsequently directed to remove it from the Indian catalog.“‘Satluj’ did not get the certification required for a theatrical release. Instead of following the certification process, the makers changed the title of the film and released it on an OTT platform on Friday,” an official from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told news agency ANI.Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged illegal cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy period of the 1980s and 1990s. This video is currently unavailable in India.
