Ram Gopal Varma reacts to Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’ being removed from OTT, says the film is a deep wound: ‘An art that makes the powerful uncomfortable has done its job’ |

film maker Ram Gopal Varma voiced his support for Diljit DosanjhIts ‘Satluj’, earlier titled ‘Punjab ’95’, was pulled from the OTT platform just two days after the film’s OTT premiere. The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and finally released on the platform on July 3 after years of delay.Reacting to the film, Ram Gopal Varma described ‘Satluj’ as a bold and necessary piece of cinema. He urged the authorities not to suppress the film, saying it fearlessly revisits a dark chapter in India’s history without relying on sensationalism. He wrote, “Just watched SATLUJ and it’s not a film, but a deep wound that will never heal. It stirs the mud of one of the darkest chapters in our history. It’s a movie used as conflict, where @diljitdosanjh acts with quiet fury without chest-pounding heroism.”. His only weapons are a ledger and a conscience. @rampalarjuna adds layers of moral decay to institutional complexity that seem chillingly realistic.” He praised director Honey Trehan’s restrained storytelling, saying the film derives its impact from truth rather than dramatic excess. “Director @honeytrehan unfolds the film like a slow-burn investigative thriller through bureaucratic files, cremation records and hushed conversations rather than sensationalizing the horror. This restraint makes the brutality of the subject matter all the more as it explodes with the power of truth and not exploitation. The philosophical core of the film about how a democracy consumes its own citizens and then tries to erase the evidence is explored without any publicity and is not a natural achievement,” he added.Referring to the controversy surrounding the removal of the film from the OTT platform, Varma said that the developments only highlight the importance of ‘Satluj’. He added that art serves its purpose when it challenges those in positions of power.“The various issues surrounding its exhibition and publication prove that any art that makes the powerful uncomfortable has done its job, and that is the true purpose of true art, which is Satluj. It is the most daring essential filmmaking because it unsettles, educates and lingers. At a time when the mainstream chases spectacles and reclaims Popmans. Accepting truth and honesty is what the cinematic medium can truly achieve. Satluj is a film to watch, show, discuss, debate and confront the victims of film. Doesn’t have to be,” he wrote.Concluding his post, the filmmaker made an emotional plea, urging the authorities not to silence the film. “My appeal to all powers, please do not do to Sutlej what was done to Jasbant Singh Kalra. The truth hurts more when one tries to hide it. – Ayn Rand.”Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Sutlej’ finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after nearly four years of delay and a prolonged certification hurdle that derailed its planned theatrical release. However, the film was taken down from the streaming platform just two days after its debut.