'Hindus and Sikhs of Punjab are watching the movie together,' says 'Satluj' director Honey Trehan

Amid the controversy surrounding 'Satluj', director Honey Trehan has dismissed allegations that his Diljit Dosanjh-starrer is a propaganda film, capable of disturbing communal harmony. Addressing the controversy surrounding the film, the director asserted that the response on the ground tells a different story, claiming that Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab have been watching the film together peacefully. Trehan said that 'Satluj' was never intended to provoke audiences, and therefore, there was no justification for banning it. “Are there any grounds for this statement? They say my film can harm the law and order situation in Punjab. On the contrary, my film has actually united Punjab. You go to Punjab and see, people are watching the movie together. They say my film is polarising society and dividing Hindus and Sikhs, but on the ground, the Hindus and Sikhs of Punjab are watching the movie together. It was not meant to provoke anybody. My film is a balm on the wounds of the people who suffered so much… I don’t think there was any reason to ban it," the director told The Indian Express. Trehan further argued that the controversy escalated only after the government intervened, maintaining that viewers had been watching the film peacefully before it was removed from the platform. “People were peacefully watching my movie in their homes for the first 48 hours. There were no issues with it. But the government banned the movie, and now it has become a movement. It’s been 10 days; everyone’s watching the film with peace, harmony, and ‘langar’ is being served to them," he continued. Questioning the differing treatment of films accused of carrying political messaging, the filmmaker said 'Satluj' deserved the same opportunity to reach audiences. “Even if you say my movie is a propaganda film, then let it be released like you released other propaganda films. Why differentiate? We are a very big country. One film can’t harm our social fabric," Trehan concluded. 'Satluj' premiered on ZEE5 in India on July 3 but was removed from the platform within 48 hours. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting later clarified that the film had been released without completing the mandatory certification process. According to the Centre, the OTT release did not meet the required regulatory norms, following which ZEE5 was instructed to take it down from its India catalogue. “Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film’s title and released it on an OTT platform on Friday," an official from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry 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. The film is currently unavailable for streaming in India.