FWICE President BN Tiwari has voiced his support for Satluj, questioning the decision to remove the film from Zee5 just two days after it premiered on the platform.
Speaking about the controversy, Tiwari said, “If Satluj had released in theatres, then it would have needed a censor certificate from CBFC. But a film doesn’t require a certificate for OTT release. Removing a film after release is wrong.”
He stressed that differences over a film’s subject should not become a reason to pull it down after it has already been released.
“You may not like the subject, but taking a step to removing the film after its release doesn’t make any sense. Everyone has the right to create what they want to make. Removing the film because of pressure from anybody is wrong. The film should be released. What makes one remove the film two days after its release? I don’t know. I think the film should be released again,” Tiwari added.
Satluj reached Zee5 after its makers chose the OTT route following a legal battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), refusing to make changes to the film’s content. The film was released quietly on July 3 without any promotional campaign but was removed from the streaming platform within 48 hours.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has stated that the filmmakers violated the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, Satluj is based on his efforts to document alleged illegal killings, mass cremations, and the dumping of bodies in the Sutlej River during Punjab’s militancy era.
