Zee5’s removal of Punjab 95/Satluj and the mysterious unofficial censorship on Indian OTT

A film that was stuck with the Indian censor board for over three years was finally released on Zee5, only to be removed in India within around 48 hours of its OTT premiere. 

ZEE5 pulled the film Satluj/Punjab 95 “until further notice,” citing unspecified “current developments.” The OTT platform didn’t provide any further explanation. Following the online backlash, Zee5 said it is doing everything it can to bring the film back and asked viewers not to encourage piracy. 

Here is the URL of the film on Zee5. Although Zee5 removed the film from its Indian service, it remains accessible to viewers outside India. However, in India, it appears to be accessible through a VPN using an active subscription.

MIB, Section 69 and IT Rules behind the removal: As per reports from Hindustan Times and Indian Express, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) sent the takedown notice to Zee5 under Section 69A and Part-3 of the IT Rules. Reportedly, an anonymous MIB official said that the film is ‘being examined by the Inter-departmental committee’. 

What is the controversy about Punjab 95? Honey Trehan’s Punjab ’95 (later retitled Satluj for Zee5) tells the true story of human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who uncovered a vast network of extrajudicial killings and illegal mass cremations carried out by the Punjab Police during the insurgency years of the 1980s and 90s. His investigations led to his own abduction, torture, and murder, a killing later affirmed by a CBI probe and a Supreme Court conviction of six police officials. The Indian censor board apparently sought over 127 cuts, including references to the Punjab police.

Trehan reportedly based the film on sources, including court records, witness testimonies, RTI responses, and books such as Ajmer Singh’s The Life and Legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra and Ram Narayan Kumar’s Reduced to Ashes, and extensive conversations with Khalra’s own family. 

Read filmmaker Honey Tehran’s interview on Caravan magazine here: [ Original link | Archived ]

We have sent Zee5 questions to confirm whether the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued any notice or directive regarding the film’s removal. We will update this story if they respond.

MediaNama’s take: 

Unlike other attempts at censorship, the Punjab 95 or Satluj case is different. In some instances, OTT platforms took down content because of online backlash. I’d argue that they shouldn’t have, in the spirit of free speech. Nonetheless, there was at least some aspect to point your finger at. In this Zee5 case, whom should anyone point their fingers at?. As far as we are aware, there wasn’t a massive pushback like in the case of Tandav. There was neither a court order nor a government/MIB order. (If there was, the public needs to know.)  So, how should we understand this sudden, unexplained disappearance of a film from an OTT platform?

I’d also argue that…