Diljit's Satluj Releases With 'No Cuts' After 3 Years: Inside Film's CBFC Battle, Title Changes & Controversial Journey

Hyderabad: Diljit Dosanjh's long-delayed biographical drama has finally reached audiences. After spending nearly three years stuck in the certification process, the film is now streaming on ZEE5 under a new title, Satluj. The film was earlier known as Punjab '95, and before that, Ghallughara. Despite multiple delays and title changes, the makers say the version now streaming is completely uncut.

A film that waited nearly three years

The journey of Satluj has been far from easy. Directed by Honey Trehan and backed by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies in association with MacGuffin Pictures, the film completed production several years ago. However, its release was repeatedly delayed after it ran into trouble during the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) process.

The film was first announced as Ghallughara. It was later renamed Punjab '95 while going through certification. But even that title was not approved, and the film has now been released as Satluj, named after the famous river in Punjab.

For a long time, the project remained caught in an endless cycle of objections, resubmissions and delays. The makers eventually dropped plans for a theatrical release and chose to premiere the film directly on ZEE5 Global.

The CBFC controversy

The biggest hurdle for the film was its certification. Reports claimed that the CBFC initially asked for more than 120 changes, with some reports putting the number at 127.

Among the reported suggestions were changing the lead character's name, removing references to the Punjab Police, deleting scenes featuring the Indian flag and making several other edits.

Honey Trehan had earlier spoken about how difficult the process became. According to the director, every time the team addressed one list of objections, another set of changes would arrive. At one stage, he even said he would rather remove his name from the film than agree to the requested cuts.

Instead of accepting the edits, the makers decided to wait. Although they were ultimately forced to change the title, they continued to fight to keep the film itself unchanged.

Diljit says the film has no cuts

Soon after Satluj started streaming on July 3, Diljit Dosanjh addressed the biggest question surrounding the film's release during an Instagram Live session. The actor said that while the original title could not be retained, the film itself has not been altered.

"Our film has finally been released on Zee5. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep the original title Punjab 95 for certain reasons, so it is now called Satluj. But there are absolutely no cuts in the film. The version I watched in theatres two years ago is exactly the same one I watched at home last week. If even a single cut had been made, I would not have promoted the film," he said.

Director Honey Trehan also said that Paramjit Kaur Khalra, the wife of late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, watched the released version and confirmed that it was the same film she had seen earlier.

According to Trehan, only the title has changed, while every dialogue and scene the team had fought to protect remains in the final version.

What is the film about?

Satluj is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified people during Punjab's militancy years in the 1980s and 1990s.

While looking at the records of cremation grounds, Khalra found evidence of large-scale illegal cremations and fake encounters. His work brought global attention.

On September 6, 1995, Khalra was abducted outside his home in Amritsar. He was allegedly tortured and murdered, with investigators later claiming that his body was thrown into the Harike canal. Several Punjab Police officers were later convicted in the case, and their life sentences were upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

More setbacks before release

The film also faced problems outside India. It was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 but was withdrawn from the festival lineup just a day before its screening. Reports at the time claimed political pressure may have played a role, though no official reason was announced by the festival.

Back in India, the film was later expected to release in theatres in February 2025, but those plans never happened as the certification issues remained unresolved.

After years of uncertainty, Satluj has finally found its way to audiences through streaming. While the film has lost its original title along the way, its makers insist they have succeeded in protecting what mattered most, and that's the story itself.