Hope is fulfilled and also unfulfilled: Satluj actress Geetika’s touching post amid controversy
After Satluj was removed from ZEE5, actress Geetika Vidya Ohlyan said that the team’s hope feels both fulfilled and unfulfilled. He recalled the four years he spent waiting to share the film with audiences in a touching Instagram post.
Actress Geetika Vidya Ohlyan shared a touching social media post on Wednesday, saying that the team is behind Satluj Kept this film silently in my heart for four years. The confession came after the film’s brief release and takedown in India. Geetika plays the role of actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh’s on-screen wife Paramjit Kaur Khalra in the film. Satluj It started streaming on ZEE5 on July 3 and was removed after 48 hours.
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In her Instagram post, Geetika said that the film’s journey made her feel “both complete and incomplete” as the team looked forward to sharing it with the audience.
Sharing a picture, Geetika wrote, “For four years we kept this film quietly in our hearts, hoping for the day when we could finally share it with you. Today, that hope feels fulfilled as well as unfulfilled.” Satluj It finds its voice in some places while remaining silent in others.”
He added, “It was an honor to step into the world of Bibi Paramjit and stand alongside Diljit Dosanjh in telling the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra ji and the family whose love endured what words can never fully describe.” He concluded, “In praise of @honeytrehan for his decision. As he always says: #Nirbhau #Nirvair. And as Jaswant Singh Khalra ji always says: #challengetheedarkness (sic).”
more about Satluj
Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj It is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and focuses on the disappearances and illegal cremations of thousands of unidentified bodies during Punjab’s insurgency era in the 1980s and 1990s. The film entered the certification process in late 2022.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly first suggested 21 cuts and asked the producers to change the title. Ghallughara To Punjab ’95, After which the producers moved the Bombay High Court. The film was later sent to the CBFC’s revision committee, which reportedly proposed 127 cuts and asked the makers to change the name of the hero, Jaswant Singh Khalra. The producers refused the changes and the film was not released in India for years.
The film was also scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but the screening was reportedly canceled after Indian authorities raised objections.
On July 3, Satluj Was released on ZEE5 without promotion. As soon as the praise started pouring in, the film was removed from the stage.
In a statement, ZEE5 said it stands by the film and, “in light of current developments”, it is no longer available for streaming. In a statement later shared on Instagram, the streaming platform said that the film will not be available in India until further notice and that it is committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through the due process to bring it back at the earliest opportunity.
According to reports, the Center directed ZEE5 to remove the film citing security concerns under Information Technology rules and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting formed a high-level interdepartmental committee to investigate the content of the film. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and several Punjab-based political parties objected to this move.
On Monday morning, Diljit said during an Instagram Live that he knew the film would be removed by Monday. He urged fans to show the film to others who have not seen it yet and said that he will be with Punjab till his death.
Satluj It also stars Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky.