A circular argument Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’ continues to create controversy, with the filmmaker Gurvinder Singh now he is considering the removal of the film from Zee5 shortly after its premiere on July 3. Despite describing the review as “disappointing,” Singh believes that the film’s direct and unflinching presentation of its subject made it possible.‘Satluj’, directed by Honey Trehanit is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the extrajudicial killings in Punjab in the 1990s.Speaking to Mid-Day about the controversy, Gurvinder Singh admitted that the future of the film reflects the current political climate. While he sympathizes with the developers, he also felt that they might have expected such problems given the nature of the title.“The scrutiny this film has gone through is disappointing. But it’s the reality of the times we live in, and he responded. [Trehan] it should have been fixed [for this]”, he said.
Gurvinder Singh says the direct storytelling of the film inspires enlightenment
The National Award-winning filmmaker felt that there were other ways of telling the story that might have led to less criticism. However, he admitted that Honey Trehan deliberately chose a more difficult route to promote the film.Explaining his point, Singh said, “There were other ways of explaining this story. [That way] the government would say, ‘Dekhne do logo ko.’ When the government sees my films, they ask themselves, ‘Iss mein kya hai? Dekhne do.’ But Honey’s strategy was for the film to have an impact and reach out to everyone. In this regard, it is a very well made film. But this film faced all this problem because it explains clearly, because the government knows that it will arouse people of different religions for different reasons.“Recalling his experience of watching “Satluj” at a preview in Chandigarh, Gurvinder Singh said the film left an impression on him forever, even though his style differed from the way he made the film.“It’s not my kind of film because it doesn’t leave anything for you to think about. It clearly shows everything, and it’s good if the artist feels that’s the way to tell the story with a lot of emphasis. I was very angry with what happened at that time. So, he did well,” he said.
‘Satluj’ is still in the midst of a review controversy
Ever since Zee5 canceled ‘Satluj’ just a few days after its first telecast, the film has become a topic of discussion and creative freedom. Several members of the film’s crew, along with political leaders, questioned the decision to pull the film, and the controversy continues to rage across the country.