ZEE5 pulls Diljit Dosanjh’s human rights drama “Satluj” from India two days after July 3 release

“Satluj,” a human rights drama directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, was removed from ZEE5’s catalogue in India just days after its debut on the platform, according to reports published July 6. The move comes less than a week after the film’s scheduled streaming launch, and it follows an extended history of public dispute over the project’s ability to reach audiences in India.

Deadline reported that the film launched on ZEE5 on July 3 and was taken down two days later. In a statement posted on social media, ZEE5 said, “In light of current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice.” The report did not specify which authority or filing prompted the removal, describing it as the streamer’s response to developments connected to the film’s release.

The film’s subject matter centers on Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist, and recounts Khalra’s pursuit of justice over decades, according to Deadline’s synopsis. The project has been described by multiple outlets as the product of a long, troubled path to release, including earlier disputes tied to India’s censorship and certification system before it could arrive on streaming.

Yahoo Entertainment similarly reported that ZEE5 removed “Satluj” from its Indian catalogue less than two days after its July 3 premiere, citing a platform statement and noting that the title remained available on ZEE5 Global for audiences outside India. In other coverage, the dispute was described as involving prior delays and certification hurdles, although the outlets did not provide new government documentation detailing the specific order or legal basis for the latest takedown.

Separate reporting in Indian media described the removal as abrupt and linked it to the film’s broader controversy before release. The Times of India and Indian Television Dot Com both referenced the film’s disappearance from the Indian platform shortly after debut, framing it as the continuation of a longer-running certification and distribution conflict rather than a new dispute that began after launch.

For viewers and families, the immediate effect is straightforward: the film’s availability in India ended within days of release, limiting access to a title that had been presented as a streaming debut for the Indian market. For the production and distribution chain, the episode also underscores the operational risk for rights holders when a streaming rollout is subject to shifting regulatory or policy expectations, even after a date is set.

ZEE5 has not, in the reported statements, given a timeline for when or whether “Satluj” will return to India. As the film remains accessible internationally on ZEE5 Global, the dispute appears to be confined to the India catalogue, leaving audiences outside the country able to watch while Indian viewers wait for a further notice update, according to the reports.