The removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj from ZEE5 just days after its release has reignited debate over one of the most polarising figures in India’s modern history, i.e., former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Kanwar Pal Singh (KPS) Gill.
Previously titled Punjab 95, the film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and revisits one of Punjab’s darkest chapters during the militancy era. Directed by Honey Tehran and produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies, Satluj brings to life the heinous tale of the Punjabi human Rights activist, Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed illegal cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the 1980s and 90s.
The film, which was originally slated for a premiere in 2023 at the Toronto International Film Festival, was finally released on ZEE5 this month, only to be taken down two days later. The controversy has brought renewed attention to KPS Gill because the film depicts the period surrounding Khalra’s 1995 abduction after he documented alleged illegal cremations carried out during Punjab’s counter-insurgency operations. Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh portrays Gill, whose legacy continues to divide opinion nearly a decade after his death.
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