The journey of Satluj faced several challenges before its release, and director Honey Trehan said he never found out who had objected to the film.
Speaking in an interview with Mid-Day before the film was removed from Zee5, Trehan looked back at the long delay and the difficulties the team had faced during the release process.
He said, “If somebody asks me who had a problem with the film, I genuinely don’t know. I don’t have a face. I don’t have a name. Everything came through third persons or lawyers.”
The Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders director added that communication had eventually stopped during the process.
“There came a point when there was simply no communication anymore. After everything we’d gone through, there was nothing left to discuss. That’s when ZEE stepped in and made this release possible,” the Sapna Didi director said.
The film, which was earlier titled Panjab 95had been submitted to the Central Board for Film Certification in 2022. The board had initially suggested several cuts.
After the makers approached the Bombay High Court, the matter had gone to a revision committee, which had recommended more changes. The film was later released on Zee5 without those cuts.
Soon after its release, however, the film was removed from the streaming platform. Zee5 had only referred to “developments” while announcing the decision.
According to reports, a government official had said the film was taken down because of security concerns.
Despite the setbacks, Trehan said he did not hold any bitterness.
“I’ve never been bitter. Sometimes you feel hurt emotionally because you’re not getting answers. But I also remind myself that I’m talking about one film. The people running the country have much bigger responsibilities. Sometimes there must have been helplessness. I respect the people and the positions they hold,” he said.
Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist known for investigating alleged illegal cremations in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s.
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