Every once in a while, a film comes along that deserves to be judged not merely by its cinematic merit but by the questions it compels society to ask. Satluj is one such film.

Ironically, before audiences could even decide its relevance, the film itself has become the very issue it seeks to address. Delayed for nearly three years by legal challenges and censorship-related hurdles, it eventually found release not in theatres but on an OTT platform — only to be withdrawn within two days. Why do certain chapters of our history continue to make us so uncomfortable that even telling their story becomes an uphill battle?

At one level, Satluj is set against one of the darkest chapters in independent India’s history. At another, it is a timeless meditation on conscience, courage and the moral choices that confront ordinary citizens.

There should be no ambiguity here. Every sovereign nation has the solemn duty to defeat terrorism with determination. Those entrusted with protecting the nation often have to take extraordinarily difficult decisions under extraordinary circumstances, and history should acknowledge that reality.

Yet, mature democracies are distinguished from the forces they fight by one crucial principle — they remain........

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