4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 4, 2026 04:27 PM IST
After nearly four years of delay, director Honey Trehan’s Punjab 95 has finally been released on Zee5, albeit under a new title, Satluj. The film, which had long remained stuck in a certification dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), is now streaming in its original, uncut form, according to both Trehan and lead actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Amid the film’s release, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose life inspired the film, publicly endorsed Satluj. Taking to X, she confirmed that the version released on OTT is the same one that was first screened for the family. “As the Khalra family, we wish to clarify that we have approved the version of the film that is now being released on OTT. This is the same original version that was first screened for our family. We are reassured that, despite immense pressure and repeated attempts to make changes, the film’s original spirit and truth have been preserved,” she wrote.
She also praised Trehan for refusing to compromise on what she described as the film’s artistic and historical integrity. “We extend our gratitude to director Honey Trehan, who remained steadfast in his principles and refused to compromise the artistic and historical integrity of the film. He has authentically portrayed not only the painful truth of more than 25,000 unclaimed bodies, but also Jaswant Singh Khalra’s legal struggle to bring the truth of the Sikh struggle before the world. His commitment to preserving the true spirit of this important chapter of history deserves our deepest respect.”
On the release of #Punjab95 under the name of #Satluj pic.twitter.com/QASNh6Y9Fm
— Paramjit Kaur Khalra (@KaurKhalra) July 3, 2026
‘Absolutely no cuts’
Earlier in the day, Honey and Diljit went live on Instagram to celebrate the film’s release and assure viewers that it had been released without any cuts. “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,” Diljit said.
Trehan echoed the same sentiment, claiming that every scene and dialogue he had opposed removing during the certification process remains intact. “Everything I objected to, every word I refused to cut or mute, is still there in the film. So there is no question of any cuts.”
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Why was Punjab 95 delayed?
The release of Punjab 95 was delayed for nearly three years after it was submitted to the CBFC in 2022. The film remained caught in the certification process as the board repeatedly sought changes before granting approval. The makers had earlier alleged that the CBFC demanded as many as 127 cuts. In September 2023, the film was also withdrawn from its scheduled world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival after Indian authorities objected to its screening.
Speaking exclusively to SCREEN in 2025, Trehan said the certification process became an “endless cycle” of revisions. After agreeing to an initial set of 21 cuts, the makers submitted a revised version, only to receive fresh demands with every subsequent submission. According to the director, the CBFC also wanted the film’s original title, ‘Ghalughara,’ changed and objected to the phrase “inspired by true events.”
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Trehan further alleged that the board sought the removal of Jaswant Singh Khalra’s name, references to the Punjab Police, visuals of the Indian flag and gurbani, and the names of locations linked to the alleged discoveries of bodies. Reacting to the extent of the proposed edits, he had asked, “What is left then?”
The dispute also reached the Bombay High Court in 2023 before the producers later withdrew their petition on legal advice.
About Satluj
Satluj, previously titled Punjab 95, stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan. Based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the film revisits one of Punjab’s darkest chapters, exploring the disappearances, alleged extrajudicial killings and illegal detentions linked to the state’s counter-insurgency operations against Khalistani militancy during the 1980s and 1990s.
