(This article was originally published on 22 June 2025. It has been republished following the removal of 'Satluj' (previously titled 'Punjab '95') from Zee5 two days after it was released on the OTT platform. Zee5 issued a statement on social media, noting: “In light of current developments, 'Satluj' will be unavailable in India until further notice,” adding that it was "committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences.”)
“Hazaaraan maawaan… saade te sawaal kar riya si, ke enna te pata kar deyo, ke saada putt hai wi ke nahin” (Thousands of mothers asked us… at least find out if our sons are alive or not).
Jaswant Singh Khalra set out to answer this question. He found that the Punjab Police had killed thousands of innocent men and declared them “unclaimed bodies” to secure promotions. Those murdered include thousands of police personnel who refused to cooperate. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probed and charged guilty police officials.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court of India held Khalra had been murdered by Punjab police personnel and sentenced them to life imprisonment. It also confirmed that there had been widespread human rights abuse and mass murder.
Director Honey Trehan's film called Punjab 95 tells this story. The CBFC, more popularly known as the 'censor board', has recommended over 120 cuts.
The team has publicly claimed that it was pressured to withdraw the film from festivals, and a case challenging the film’s censorship from the High Court.