controversies surrounding Diljit DosanjhFilmmaker’s ‘Satluj’ continues to spark controversy Gurvinder Singh Soon after its premiere on July 3, the film is now being considered for removal from Zee5. Singer described the censorship as “frustrating” but felt the film’s direct and uncompromising depiction of its subject made it vulnerable to such action.“Satruji”, director Dear Trehanbased on life human rights Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra investigates alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab in the 1990s.Speaking about the controversy in an interview with Mid Day, Gurvinder Singh admitted that the film’s fate reflects the current socio-political climate. While sympathetic to the producers, he also believes they may have anticipated such a challenge given the nature of the subject matter.“The censorship this film has gone through is frustrating. But that’s the truth of the times we live in, and he [Trehan] should be ready [for this],” he said.
Govind Singh says the film’s straightforward storytelling deserves scrutiny
The National Award-winning filmmaker observes that there are other ways to tell the story that might attract less resistance. However, he admitted that Honey Trahan deliberately chose a heavy-handed approach to maximize the film’s impact.Explaining his point of view, Singer said: “There are other ways to tell the story. [That way] The government could have said, “Dekhne do logo ko.” When the government saw my film, they would have thought, “Iss mein kya hai? Dekhne did it.” But Haney’s approach was that this movie should have that impact and impact everyone. From that perspective, this is a very well-made movie. But the movie faces the whole problem because it’s so explicit because the government knows it will stir up people of different faiths for different reasons.“Gurvinder Singh, recalling his experience of watching Satluji at a test screening in Chandigarh, said the film left a lasting emotional impact on him, even though its storytelling style was different from his own filmmaking sensibilities.“It’s not my kind of movie because it doesn’t leave anything to your imagination. It shows everything explicitly, and if the filmmakers feel that’s what’s needed to tell the story in the most powerful way, that’s fine too. What happened then made me angry. So, they succeeded in doing that,” he shared.
‘Satluj’ remains at center of censorship debate
Since “Satluj” was removed by Zee5 days after its digital premiere, the film has become the focus of a larger discussion around censorship and creative freedom. Several members of the film industry, as well as political leaders, have questioned the decision to pull the film, and the debate continues to heat up across the country.
