The controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ continues to spark debate, with filmmaker Gurvinder Singh now weighing in on the removal of the film from Zee5 shortly after its July 3 premiere. While describing the censorship as “disheartening,” Singh believes the film’s direct and uncompromising portrayal of its subject made it vulnerable to such action.‘Satluj’, directed by Honey Trehan, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the 1990s.Speaking to Mid-Day about the controversy, Gurvinder Singh admitted that the film’s fate reflects the current socio-political climate. While sympathising with the makers, he also felt they may have anticipated such challenges given the nature of the subject.“The censorship that the film has gone through is disheartening. But that’s the truth of the times we live in, and he [Trehan] should have been prepared [for this],” he said.
Gurvinder Singh says the film’s direct storytelling invited scrutiny
The National Award-winning filmmaker observed that there were alternative ways to narrate the story that may have attracted less resistance. However, he acknowledged that Honey Trehan deliberately chose a hard-hitting approach to maximise the film’s impact.Explaining his point, Singh said, “There were other ways to tell the story. [That way] the government could have said, ‘Dekhne do logo ko.’ When the government sees my films, they feel, ‘Iss mein kya hai? Dekhne do.’ But Honey’s approach was the film should have that impact and reach everyone. In that context, it’s a very well-made movie. But the film faced this whole problem because it’s so explicit, because the government knows it will arouse people of different faiths for different reasons.”Recalling his experience of watching ‘Satluj’ during a preview screening in Chandigarh, Gurvinder Singh said the film left a lasting emotional impact on him, even though its storytelling style differed from his own filmmaking sensibilities.“It’s not my kind of film because it doesn’t leave anything for you to imagine. It explicitly shows everything, and that’s fine if the filmmaker feels that’s the way needed to tell the story in the most emphatic manner. It made me angry about what happened at that time. So, they were successful in doing that,” he shared.
‘Satluj’ remains at the centre of censorship debate
Since Zee5 removed ‘Satluj’ just days after its digital premiere, the film has become the focus of a larger conversation around censorship and creative freedom. Several members of the film fraternity, along with political leaders, have questioned the decision to pull the film, with the debate continuing to gain momentum across the country.