Indian authorities are investigating whether a film based on a separatist insurgency in India's Punjab state in the 1980s and early 1990s is fit for viewers. 'Satluj' claims to tell the true story of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who was tortured and killed by police in 1995 for investigating thousands of disappearances and extrajudicial killings during a brutal government crackdown on the separatist movement.
Originally titled 'Punjab 95', the film was blocked by India's censor board for three years. The board ordered a name change and demanded nearly 130 cuts before allowing a theatrical release. The filmmakers refused and instead released 'Satluj' on the ZEE5 streaming platform on July 3, only for it to be removed 48 hours later on security grounds.
Written and directed by Honey Trehan, the 163-minute biopic stars Diljit Dosanjh, one of India's biggest film stars, as Khalra. The film has received rave reviews, with critics touting it as one of the most powerful films made in India in recent years. It depicts Khalra's investigation into alleged secret cremations of nearly 25,000 disappeared people by police.
The Khalistan rebellion was one of independent India's bloodiest internal conflicts during the 1980s and early 1990s. The separatist movement was rooted in long-running political and religious grievances. Indian security forces launched sweeping operations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and secret cremations, according to human rights groups.
After the film's removal, Sikh groups and activists have organized community screenings in temple compounds and village halls across Punjab and other parts of India. Similar screenings have been reported from Sikh diaspora groups in London, New York, and Toronto. Actor Dosanjh held a live session on Instagram, saying his worst fears had come true but that nothing could stop the film now. Social media users are also uploading the movie onto YouTube and other platforms in defiance of the ban.
Source: www.aljazeera.com