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Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ was pulled from OTT within two days of its release and created a huge stir on the internet. As per the latest update on the matter, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is being filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to restore the film on ZEE5. The plea comes just days after the film was pulled from the streaming platform less than 48 hours after its release. It claims the removal violated the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, questioned the lack of any legal justification for the public disclosure and called for more transparency from the authorities.The PIL is the latest twist in the row over ‘Satluj’, which is inspired by the life of Sikh human rights activist Jasbant Singh Khalra. Since its removal, the film has drawn criticism from members of the film industry, Sikh organizations and civil liberties groups.Advocate Hakam Singh said the public interest petition was filed by Shravan Singh, a resident of Punjab and a ZEE5 subscriber.“The Sutlej film released on the ZEE5 platform on the 3rd was removed on the 5th. The petitioner has filed a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, stating that it is a violation of Article 19, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression. The petitioner has demanded that the film be allowed to be restored on the platform and the NSIA has been told.”He further said that the petition questioned why the picture was removed without any explanation.“The PIL filed by Shravan Singh, a ZEE5 subscriber and a citizen of Punjab, raises issues of public interest. He questions why the image was removed without any prior notice or transparent enquiry.”According to Hakam Singh, though the Center has constituted a three-member committee to look into the matter, the reason for stopping the flow of the film has not been revealed.“A three-member committee has also been constituted by the Center in this regard, but the reasons for stopping the film have not been disclosed. We expect the petition to come up for hearing tomorrow or next working day.” Originally titled ‘Punjab 95’, ‘Sutlej’ finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after almost four years of non-release. However, it was taken down from the platform in India on July 5.According to PTI, the Center has directed ZEE5 to remove the film citing “security concerns” and obligations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Ethics) Rules, 2021.The dispute dates back to 2022, when the filmmakers shelved the project Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) under its original title, ‘Punjab 95’. The certification process reportedly stalled after manufacturers refused to implement the 127 cuts recommended by the board.A government official told PTI that the producers have decided to release the film under a different title directly on an OTT platform without resolving the pending certification issues.“They sat on the proposed cuts and finally quietly released the movie on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under CBFC’s jurisdiction. When the matter came to the notice of the government, ZEE was asked to take down the film. The instructions were given for security reasons. The OTT platform was asked to follow the obligations under the intermediary, if they want to follow the guidelines on OTT and they want to release the movie. Rules laid down,” the official said.
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