A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday, 9 July, seeking the restoration of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer 'Satluj' — a biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra — after the film was pulled from ZEE5 within days of its digital release, without any disclosed statutory or judicial order.

What the PIL Argues

Petitioner Sharwan Singh has named the Central government, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Punjab government, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, and ZEE5 as respondents. The petition contends that the abrupt removal of the film, without disclosure of any statutory order, judicial direction, or lawful authority, violates Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution — the fundamental right to freedom of expression and the citizens' right to information.

'The abrupt removal of the film, without disclosure of any statutory order, judicial direction or lawful authority, has not only curtailed the fundamental right of the public to receive information and artistic expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India but has also deprived thousands of bona-fide subscribers of access to content for which they had already paid consideration,' the petition stated.

About the Film and Khalra's Legacy

'Satluj' is based on the life and work of late Jaswant Singh Khalra, who documented alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during Punjab's insurgency era in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Khalra's case has been previously adjudicated upon by constitutional courts. The PIL argued that the film 'does not affect the sovereignty and integrity of our country in any manner nor is it aimed to disrupt public order,' making the absence of any official explanation for its removal particularly significant.

Political Reactions

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced it would screen 'Satluj' across Punjab. SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a statement on Wednesday: 'This is aimed at ensuring that today's youth and our coming generations know about the unspeakable tragedy and repression unleashed by the then Congress governments against Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra and thousands of other innocent Sikh youth who were eliminated through fake encounters.'

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, however, pushed back against allegations of government interference, calling claims of BJP or Central government involvement in the removal 'baseless, misleading and devoid of facts.' He noted that government certification and regulatory provisions primarily apply to theatrical releases, while OTT platforms operate under separate statutory frameworks — and that attributing the removal to the BJP or the Centre has 'no factual or legal basis.'

Broader Concerns

The PIL has raised questions about transparency and the possible existence of undisclosed executive interference in content moderation on streaming platforms. This comes amid a broader national debate over regulatory oversight of OTT content in India, where no single statutory framework currently governs digital streaming takedowns. Notably, ZEE5 and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited have not publicly disclosed the reason for the film's removal. The High Court is yet to list the matter for hearing.