Government Ban of “Satluj” Highlights India’s Film-Censorship Controversy

Trehan completed the film—originally titled *Ghallughara*—in 2022 to depict the 1990s Punjab police killings and the murder of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. After three years of blockage by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the movie was released on a streaming platform under the new title *Satluj*. Within 48 hours, a government order banned the film on “national-security” grounds, prompting guerilla screenings across Punjab.

The Guardian

During the 1980s-1990s insurgency for an independent Sikh homeland, Punjab police carried out tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings and illegal cremations. Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra documented these crimes before being murdered in 1995, becoming a national hero among Sikhs. Trehan’s work sought to archive these atrocities, which remain a “dark” chapter in modern Indian history.

The Guardian

The CBFC issued 127 specific cuts, demanding removal of any reference to Punjab police, the killings, the crematoriums, the name “Khalra,” and even the real Delhi locality “Trilokpuri.” The Ministry of Information committee justified the ban by claiming the film lacked “balance,” “whitewashed” militant actions, and could “incite national-security issues.” The board declined comment on accusations of political bias.

The Guardian

Film-makers report an opaque process that forces cuts for any depiction of government oppression, caste violence, or religious critique. Anna MM Vetticad notes that the board’s actions “create an atmosphere of fear and encourage self-censorship.” By contrast, pro-government movies such as *The Kashmir Files* and *The Kerala Story* have passed the board unimpeded and received tax incentives.

The Guardian

• “But if you dare to try and tell an uncomfortable part of our history, suddenly you are a criminal and a threat to national security.” — Honey Trehan, Filmmaker

The Guardian

• “From what I’ve experienced, the film board is hand in glove with the government,” — Honey Trehan, Filmmaker

The Guardian

• “The goal is to create an atmosphere of fear and encourage self-censorship among those who have not boarded the rightwing bandwagon,” — Anna MM Vetticad, Film Journalist

The Guardian

• “afterwards one of the people on the board said to me: ‘To my surprise, it’s a true story. But Mr Trehan, I want to ask you one thing. Who speaks the truth so loudly in today’s time?’” — CBFC board member (as reported)

The Guardian

• “This film is, for me, an archive of him – of the injustices he bore on his body,” — Ranjit Singh, Punjab resident

The Guardian

The ban on *Satluj* underscores ongoing tensions between artistic expression and state-driven narrative control in contemporary India.

The Guardian