After years of delays, the Diljit Dosanjh and Arjun Rampal-starrer Panjab’95, now titled Satluj, quietly dropped on ZEE5 on Friday evening. The makers said the film has been released in its uncut version.
Sharing the teaser of the film on X, Diljit wrote, “This is the Complete Film Without any Cuts. We could not get the Title of the Film. The Title is Now ‘Sutluj’. SHAHEED JASWANT SINGH KHALRA JI Hameshan Amar Rehn Ge. Sach ek na ek din bahar aa hee janda.”
The film is based on the life of Jaswant Singh (Diljit Dosanjh), an ordinary bank employee who investigates the disappearance of his friend’s mother. However, his search spirals into an investigation, and the evidence he collects reveals the state’s darkest secrets.
However, when Kalra resolves to expose the unlawful assassinations being carried out by the Punjab police, the state becomes his worst enemy.
Known for his research, Khalra uncovered 25,000 cases of illegal killings and cremations conducted by the Punjab police after Operation Bluestar. Khalra was last seen in September 1995, washing his car outside his Amritsar home.
Six Punjab police officers were later convicted and sentenced for his abduction and murder.
Before being titled Panjab'95, the film was originally named Ghalughara, which means ‘massacre’. Its release was indefinitely delayed after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought over 120 cuts and asked the makers to change the title to avoid controversy.
In 2023, Satluj (then Panjab’95) was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but was pulled from the lineup just a day before its scheduled screening.
However, on Friday, the film finally reached Indian audiences, with fans taking to social media to praise its narrative and performance.
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra heaped praise on the filmmaker Honey Trehan and Diljit Dosanjh for bringing a bold story to the screen.
“Watch Honey Trehan’s Sutlej previously Punjab 95 on Zee 5. That Honey had the guts to make it deserves a standing ovation. That he made such a uniquely crafted film as well is a sign of his immense growth as a filmmaker. Diljit is bang on, perfect, transparent, never obstructs the storytelling but makes us feel for a man who just couldn’t let the truth be buried,” he wrote on X.
“𝗦𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲.This movie deserved a Proper Cinematic Release. But getting released uncut is a HUGE WIN in itself,” reads a comment on X.
An X user wrote, “It took us nearly 3 years to release this. Satluj is not just a film but something that my family also went through. It’s personal, and a story everyone should watch before it’s interrupted again (I hope it’s not).”
“It is a spine-chilling telling of India’s biggest genocide post-independence. Diljit Dosanjh as Shahid Jaswant Singh is mind-blowing and very well supported with a fabulous cast that has Suvinder Vicky, Gitika Vidya Ohliyan, Arjun Rampal (What Range is he showing in this phase of his career?), Saurabh Sachdeva and all the others. This is a must-watch,” another fan wrote on X.
Urging everyone to watch the film, another X user wrote, “#Punjab95 / #Satluj is an extremely sensitive film. Honey Trehan is brave, has it brilliantly researched & written and directed. Savinderpal, Geeta Ohlyan, Kanwaljeet Singh, Rampal, basically everyone is perfectly cast and has performed really well. Diljeet Dosanjh would find it hard to top this performance ever.”
Backed by RSVP, Movies, MacGuffin Pictures and White Hill Music, the film also stars Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Suvinder Vicky, Saurabh Sachdeva, Kanwaljit Singh and Varun Badola.
