As a circular argument Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’ movie continues, veteran actor Annu Kapoor has a different opinion, supporting the government’s decision to ban the film and urging the producers of the film to seek legal recourse instead of public criticism.Directed by Honey Trehan‘Satluj’ which was earlier titled ‘Punjab 95’ premiered on ZEE5 on July 3 after a four-year war with Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). However, the film was pulled from the platform within 48 hours following instructions from the Government of India. While several members of the film’s crew criticized the ban and raised concerns about censorship and creative rights, Kapoor believes the issue should be resolved through legislation.The actor spoke to Kadak saying, “If that’s the case, take this issue.” Supreme Court. If the Censor Board declares such a film illegal, knock on the doors of the Supreme Court. There’s a right path to follow, right? What is crying?”Responding to Diljit Dosanjh’s earlier statement that art should be separated from politics, Kapoor said that filmmakers know the basics when they decide to make a controversial film. He stressed that the right way is to challenge the decision in court instead of complaining so that people can hear their opinion.“You participated in this film, and the law clearly states that if the Censor Board does not give you a license, you have to go to the Supreme Court. Everyone knows that this issue is controversial, and now you are asking people to feel sorry for you. Why are you feeling sorry for yourself? Go to the Supreme Court. Why cry?Mr Kapoor also defended the government’s concerns if a film is believed to threaten national peace or security. Emphasizing that maintaining peace should be more important than releasing a film, he said: “Is chaos more important than releasing a film?“Following government directives, ZEE5 removed ‘Satluj’ from its books and issued a statement explaining the decision.“Given the current situation, Satluj will not be available in India until further notice. We are continuing to explore every possible avenue through the right process to bring the film to our audience as soon as possible.” Soon after it was removed, fake versions of the film reportedly started circulating online.Reacting to this, RSVP’s co-producers’ spokesperson Ronnie Screwvala confirmed to SCREEN that the government has ordered the film’s withdrawal, while expressing hope that it will return soon.According to PTI, a government official said that the film was sent to the CBFC in 2022 under the title ‘Punjab 95’, but the makers refused to comply with the board’s request that 127 were cut. The official said that the film was released directly on the OTT platform under a different title without obtaining CBFC clearance. “They stuck to the said cuts and finally quietly released the film on OTT with a new title. OTT does not come under the jurisdiction of CBFC. When the news reached the government, Zee was asked to take it (the film) off the ground. The guidelines were issued due to safety concerns. The OTT platform was asked to follow the content under the medium guidelines. If they want to release the film in theaters and OTT, they have to follow the established norms. “Before the film was released, director Honey Trehan thanked ZEE5 and the producers for standing up for the project. He also admitted that, although the battle has lasted for many years, he still did not know who opposed the film.“If someone asks me who had a problem with this film, I don’t really know. I don’t have a face. I don’t have a name. Everything came through third parties or lawyers,” said Mid-Day.‘Satluj’ is based on one of the most controversial themes in Punjab’s history, highlighting the repression, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions of the government in the fight against Khalistan insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s. The film focuses on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose investigation into the burning of unidentified bodies led to his recognition. Apart from Diljit Dosanjh, the film also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in lead roles.