Honey Trehan’s Jaswant Singh Khalra biopic, Satluj, previously titled Panjab ‘95, had a long journey before it was dropped on Zee5 and was taken down within hours. The Diljit Dosanjh-starrer was not cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as the makers did not comply with cuts and missed a theatrical release. The filmmaker now reveals that people have tried to raise funds to recoup the film’s financial losses.

Diljit Dosanjh played Jaswant Singh Khalra in Honey Trehan's Satluj.

Honey Trehan reveals gullaks kept in Gurudrawas for Satluj

On Friday, Honey released a long note on his Instagram addressing the love Satluj received a month ago when it was released on Zee5 on July 3, but was taken down by July 5. He stated that the film was an opportunity to honour Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life. “Since then, we have been getting several messages, calls, Instagram DMs and tweets from people trying to reach out to us, the Khalra family and Diljit bhaji, to extend their support and help us with money to recover our losses,” added the filmmaker.

“We even got to know there are gullaks kept in Gurudwaras where well-wishers are trying to help my producers to recover the losses of 'Satluj: This is happening in India as well as abroad. We thank you deeply for this gesture,” further read a portion of his note, adding, “It is truly special and we respect your emotions. Having said that, your love and support is more than enough, and with all due respect we cannot accept any money, gifts or donations for our film.”

When Satluj was removed from Zee5 in 48 hours, an I&B Ministry official told ANI, “Satluj did not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of complying with the certification process, the makers changed the film's title and released it on an OTT platform.” After its removal, many people illegally downloaded the film and held public screenings to ensure it was seen.

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  Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More