For nearly three years, Diljit Dosanjh’s film Punjab 95 stayed in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, facing repeated delays, title changes and censorship hurdles. Now, it has finally found its way to audiences. The social drama Satluj, previously titled Punjab 95, started streaming on ZEE5 Global on July 3 after a long and uncertain release journey. Inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the film is not just another project for Diljit. It is one that challenged him deeply and stayed with him even after filming had ended.
Diljit Dosanjh on why Satluj stayed with him
Speaking to Variety India, Diljit opened up about the emotional toll the film took on him. “It’s honestly one of the hardest films I have ever made in my career. Emotionally and physically, it extracted everything out of all of us. There were the long days, difficult conditions and intense scenes. But ultimately, it was the nature of the subject matter which really clung on to me. I think this is perhaps the first film in my career which required me to recuperate after the shoot,” the actor said.
He further revealed that, unlike his usual routine of jumping straight into the next project, this film forced him to slow down. He recalled, “Once a film is wrapped, I quickly move on as I don’t enjoy taking a break. However, after this film, I had to take a week off to process everything that I went through portraying Jaswant Singh Khalra. The scenes, the emotions, and the aspects of the character lingered on, so it took time for me to pull away from that.”
The true story behind the film
Satluj is based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who spent years investigating the alleged disappearance of thousands of Sikh youths during Punjab’s militancy period in the 1980s and 1990s. While going through records at cremation grounds across the state, Khalra uncovered evidence that suggested large-scale illegal cremations and alleged fake encounters. His findings drew global attention and documented the disappearance of over 25,000 people.
On September 6, 1995, Jaswant was allegedly abducted by Punjab Police officers from outside his home in Amritsar’s Kabir Park. According to reports, he was tortured and killed, and his body was believed to have been thrown into the Harike canal. In 2005, a Patiala court convicted several police officers in the case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later upheld the convictions and increased their punishment to life imprisonment.
The film also faced trouble overseas
The film’s troubles were not limited to India. Satluj was also set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but it was pulled from the schedule just a day before its screening. At the time, Variety quoted a source saying that “political forces were at play,” though the festival never officially shared a reason for the last-minute decision. The delays continued back home as well. Satluj was originally expected to hit theatres in February 2025, but the release never happened as the film remained stuck in the certification process.
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is backed by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies in association with MacGuffin Pictures. Along with Diljit Dosanjh, the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Varun Badola.