Web Desk: Indian authorities have removed actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh’s film “Sutlej” from streaming platform Zee5 less than 48 hours after its release, reigniting debate over censorship and a film that portrays the life of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
The removal follows years of delays and repeated changes to the film, which has faced scrutiny from India’s censorship process. According to supporters of the project, the film was originally titled “Ghallughara” before being renamed “Punjab 95” and later released on the streaming platform as “Sutlej.”
The filmmakers have said the Central Board of Film Certification sought 127 cuts before approving the film, a move critics argue significantly altered its original content. Reuters could not independently verify the number of cuts or immediately obtain comment from Indian authorities or Zee5.
The film is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist whose investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings during Punjab’s insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s made him one of the most prominent voices documenting alleged abuses.
Khalra, who worked as a bank clerk in Amritsar, examined cremation records in three districts of Punjab and reported finding documentation of 2,097 unidentified bodies. He alleged that thousands of people had disappeared during counterinsurgency operations and claimed police had carried out at least 25,000 extrajudicial killings across the state.
His findings attracted national and international attention as he campaigned for accountability.
Khalra disappeared on Sept. 6, 1995. Investigators later concluded that police officers had abducted and killed him.
Subsequently, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation probed the case, while the Supreme Court upheld convictions against police personnel linked to the abduction and murder. Multiple police officers were convicted over the years in connection with the case, according to court records.
Supporters of Khalra have long argued that the full chain of responsibility was never established and that senior officials escaped accountability, allegations that remain politically contested.
The latest removal of “Sutlej” has renewed criticism from free speech advocates and supporters of the film, who argue that repeated title changes, extensive censorship demands and the streaming takedown have prevented wider public access to a story rooted in one of India’s most controversial chapters.
Meanwhile, authorities have not publicly detailed the specific reasons behind the latest removal from the streaming platform.
The case continues to fuel debate over artistic freedom, historical accountability and the limits of state censorship in India.
Read more: Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina announces plan to surrender
