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They say that when a story carries enough truth and emotional weight, no force can stop it from reaching the people. That, perhaps, is the most remarkable story behind Satluj. Based on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra and the judicial proceedings that followed his abduction and murder, the film chronicles the work of the human rights activist who documented allegations of illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during Punjab’s years of militancy.

Khalra’s investigations revealed that numerous unidentified bodies, many believed to be of the victims of alleged fake encounters, were cremated without identification or due process. His findings later formed part of a CBI enquiry and judicial scrutiny, including a 2009 Supreme Court judgment.

After four years of its director Honey Trehan navigating censorship and legal hurdles with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Satluj was finally released on ZEE5. It appeared destined to follow the familiar journey of every modern film – watched on mobile phones, televisions and laptops, one viewer at a time. But within days of its release, the film was removed from the streaming platform. Even its IMDb rating of 9.6/10 was taken down.

For most films, that would have marked the end. For Satluj, however, it marked the beginning of a different one. It compelled the question: Who was Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra?

From OTT to village squares

In an era dominated by OTT platforms and personalised viewing, Punjab’s villages and open fields became Satluj’s biggest screens.

A Satluj screening at Gurdwara Sahib Falahian Wala, Mehraj Pind, Punjab, draws audiences across generations, July 2026. Photo: Damanjeet Kaur

Across the state, large LED screens and projectors began appearing in village squares, gurdwara complexes, schools and community spaces. Instead of being watched individually inside homes, Satluj brought entire villages together, watching the film as a shared community experience.

According to organisers interviewed for this story, most screenings drew between 300 and 400 people, while several attracted well over 500. The film’s digital release transformed into a community-led movement, with local volunteers arranging projectors, sound systems, tents, seating and logistics entirely on their own.

Also read: ‘Satluj’: When History Becomes Inconvenient, the First Casualty Is Not Just Truth But Memory

The screenings introduced younger generations to Khalra’s life and work and created conversations about an episode in Punjab’s history that........

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