However, two days after the OTT release, the movie was taken down by the OTT platform, citing “current developments”.

The issue has become a political flashpoint in poll-bound Punjab with the ruling AAP and the Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) vehemently protesting the move.

While AAP has taken a strong public stance against the removal of the film from the OTT platform, blaming the BJP-led Central government, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced that his party will screen the film across villages and towns in Punjab to “educate the younger generation about the atrocities committed against the Sikh community during the Congress regime.” Assembly polls are due in Punjab early next year.

With the issue gaining political colour, officials in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said demand for change in the IT rules to make certification mandatory for movies that are available for public viewing, even if they are not for release on traditional platforms, has grown stronger.

“Since viewership has shifted from the traditional to OTT and other platforms, there is a proposal for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to regulate the content that is for public viewing,” said an official.

According to sources, Satluj had come before the film certification board in 2022. The makers had challenged the CBFC’s objections before the Bombay High Court in 2023, but later withdrew the petition.

“A communication was sent (by CBFC) to them (filmmakers) in May 2023 prohibiting its release, citing reasons. They went to the court initially, but later, after seeing the reasons given by the Board, they decided to withdraw the case,” said the official.

“This may be because the producer felt the court would stall the film forever, or the producers may have filed the petition as a pressure tactic against CBFC but realised the gravity of the concerns already expressed by CBFC,” the official said.

The Bombay High Court disposed of the case on January 7, 2025. “Since withdrawing the petition from the court in January 2025, the film producers never attempted to resolve these matters with CBFC,” the official said.

Sources in the ministry said that although the filmmakers had not made any changes to the original movie, just changed the title to Satluj, ZEE5 claimed it was not aware of these developments (in 2022 and 2023) when the ministry sought an explanation.

Officials argue that the government has several reasons to ban the film. According to them, the dominant narrative of the film is that the State was responsible for mass killings, disappearances and illegal cremations. This moves beyond criticism of specific excesses and converts counter-insurgency into an alleged machinery of State oppression, the officials said.

Sources in the government said the current security context of Punjab makes the risk live, not historical, as Punjab remains a sensitive border state with continuing Khalistan-related propaganda, foreign-based separatist mobilisation and hostile information operations.

They argued that emotionally charged content concerning the militancy period can be exploited to revive grievance among youth and diaspora audiences. The sources said the content of the film is already being misused by pro-Khalistan and Pakistan-based elements to sow distrust and anti-India sentiments and spread the secessionist narrative.