Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh has criticised the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's film Satluj from the streaming platform ZEE5, questioning the state of freedom of speech in India.

The film, based on activist Jaswant Singh Khalra's efforts to expose alleged mass killings during Punjab's militancy era, was taken down from ZEE5 within 48 hours of its release. The move has drawn criticism from actors, directors and other members of the creative community.

Kanwaljit, who portrayed a Punjab police director general (DGP) in the film, said he was surprised by the decision.

"I spoke to Honey after the film was taken down, and he has said that they will be taking the matter to court. But what I don't understand is why they had to take it off? Even people who weren't going to see it will want to see it now. It has also been downloaded by so many people, so even though lots of people would be watching it, the producers will be losing out. But I want to ask, what is this freedom of speech? Tell me, I really want to know. That right is being strangled," Kanwaljit told The Free Press Journal.

Responding to speculation that his character was based on former Punjab Director General of Police KPS Gill, Kanwaljit said the role was not modelled on any one individual.

"People are assuming that I'm playing Gill. However, the brief I followed was to study clippings of different DGPs and police chiefs, and I also have a friend who is a retired DGP with whom I discussed how the character should be," he said.

Originally titled Panjab 95, Satluj was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2022 but has yet to receive a clearance certificate.

The filmmakers had earlier alleged that the CBFC sought 127 cuts before certification. The film was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, but the screening was reportedly cancelled following objections from Indian authorities.

Despite the certification issues, Satluj was quietly released on ZEE5 on July 3 without any promotional campaign. However, after the film began receiving positive reviews, it was removed from the platform.

In a statement, ZEE5 said it continues to support the film but, without specifying the reason for its removal, stated that "in light of current developments" the film is currently unavailable for streaming. 

#From NDTV