Cowardice and dictatorship: Satluj director Honey Trehan slams new CBFC guidelines

Filmmaker Honey Trehan criticised the CBFC's five new directives as reflecting cowardice and dictatorship. His remarks revive concerns about creative freedom following Satluj's removal from ZEE5.

In Short

• Satluj was removed from Zee5 within days of its July release
• Originally titled Punjab '95, the film follows activist Jaswant Singh Khalra
• Diljit Dosanjh had publicly doubted the film’s continued streaming availability

Filmmaker Honey Trehan has criticised the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) latest guidelines, calling them an example of "cowardice" and "dictatorship". His reaction comes four months after his period crime drama Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh, was removed from Zee5 shortly after its release.

The CBFC issued five new directives in an advisory on Monday. Reacting to the development, Trehan expressed concern over what he believes could mean for freedom of expression in his Instagram Stories.

"New guidelines show and underline the cowardice and the dictatorship in the country, not the democratic approach towards the freedom of speech," he wrote, adding a camera emoji.

Honey Trehan's Satluj controversy

Trehan's criticism comes against the backdrop of the prolonged certification battle surrounding Satluj, which was originally titled Punjab '95. The film is based on the life of Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role.

After facing delays in securing certification from the CBFC for several years, the makers released the film on Zee5 in July this year under the title Satluj. However, it was taken down from the streaming platform within a couple of days.

Before its release, Diljit had expressed doubts about how long the film would remain available on the platform. His concerns came true when it was removed shortly after its premiere.

The Centre had reportedly raised national security concerns over the film, while the makers maintained that these were not the reasons behind the issues surrounding its release.

What are the new CBFC guidelines?

The latest advisory marks the first set of directives issued by the reconstituted CBFC, which was revamped a few months ago after a gap of nine years. The board, chaired by former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rupali Ganguly, Manoj Joshi, Pallavi Joshi and Suniel Shetty, among others. Filmmaker Priyadarshan, music composer Ricky Kej and producer Supriya Yarlagadda are also part of the board.

Among the five directives issued on Monday, the CBFC clarified that films submitted for certification must be complete. It also stated that announced release dates and promotional titles would not be treated as binding.

The board further said that film titles would remain subject to scrutiny and could be reviewed or modified by the examining or revising committee.

Delhi High Court issues notice over Sunny Deol's Suryaa

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre, the CBFC and Zee Studios over Sunny Deol's upcoming crime thriller Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak.

The legal development follows a petition filed by four doctors who have objected to the film's teaser. Directed by M Padmakumar, the film is scheduled to release on November 20.

The petitioners have alleged that the teaser portrays doctors working in private hospitals as corrupt and could encourage violence against healthcare professionals. They also questioned the film's description as being inspired by "unbelievable true events", arguing that it presents a fictional story as though it reflects actual incidents.

The doctors claimed that the teaser makes allegations against medical professionals, including overcharging patients, recommending unnecessary tests and accepting commissions.

In their plea, they also expressed concern that such content could put doctors at risk, particularly given incidents of attacks on healthcare workers by relatives of patients.

The petitioners have sought a stay on the film's release and the removal of its teaser from YouTube. However, the Delhi High Court has not passed any interim order so far.

After seeking responses from the producers, the CBFC and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the court has scheduled the next hearing for November 16, four days before the film's planned theatrical release.

- Ends