Diljit Dosanjh's film 'Satluj' has drawn significant criticism on social media due to one of its scenes. Users have raised questions regarding the appearance of a suicide bomber near the car of the Chief Minister of Punjab and the use of music in the background of this scene.
Accusations of Glorifying Violence
Some commentators believe that this scene romanticizes a hypothetical killing of former Chief Minister of Punjab Bent Singh, who was played by SM Zahir in the film. One user on X stated that 'Satluj' glorifies the killing of Chief Minister Bent Singh because the murder was committed by Khalistanis, but this is not mentioned in the film.
Another user noted that the background music called for 'spiritual struggle and valor, transferring the encounter with enemies to the battlefield.' They suggested that depicting Singh's murder without any connection to Khalistanis looks like the rage of an ordinary person. This user also emphasized that due to the necessity of 127 edits in '#Satluj' and the growing influence of Khalistanis, banning the film was extremely necessary.
Questions for the Director and Film Defense
A third user called the scene 'highly unacceptable,' pointing out that the Chief Minister's murder is shown through a suicide bomb device, accompanied by uplifting, positive music, which they believe makes the scene glorified. They addressed Diljit with a question about motivation, mentioning that, as far as they know, the pro-Khalistani terrorist involved in the former chief minister's murder was sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, other users defended the film, arguing that the clip should be viewed outside the broad historical context. One responded that the film is based on events from 1995 and shows how the police killed innocent people for advancement, including the Chief Minister. This user added that the attacker's family was also killed and labeled as terrorists.
The Story of Jaswant Singh Khalide
In the same post, 'Satluj' was identified as the story of Jaswant Singh Khalide, played by Dosanjh. It was mentioned that in the 1990s, he investigated the disappearance of thousands of Sikh youth in Punjab. According to the text, Khalide used municipal and cemetery records to gather evidence of unofficial killings and mass graves sanctioned by the government. He suspected that more than 25,000 people were illegally killed. It was further reported that in 1995, the police abducted him, and officials involved in this were later convicted.
Another critic replied that the commentator was likely basing their remarks only on one clip from the internet. They argued that the song reflected the perspective of a victim whose entire family was killed, and that the scene did not glorify the killing of the Chief Minister.
Reaction After Removal from Zee5
After the film was removed from Zee5, public attention once again turned to Khalide's life. Dosanjh reacted to the removal in his Instagram post in Punjabi, stating: 'I challenge the darkness. Martyr Jaswant Singh Khalide. Punjab 95. What happened to Khalide is 'Satluj'.' Later, Zee5 issued a statement on social media confirming the film's removal. The platform thanked viewers for their support and stated that it would continue to support the film, its director, and creative vision, and is considering legal options for the prompt return of 'Satluj' to viewers in India.
