Amid Satluj row, Onir says Ajay Devgn's Chauhaan won't face censor hurdles

Filmmaker Onir has questioned the removal of Satluj from Zee5 and contrasted it with the teaser release of Chauhaan. His posts have renewed the debate over censorship, political sensitivity and uneven treatment of films in India.

In Short

• Satluj disappeared from Zee5 two days after its India premiere
• The ministry intervened, citing the film's non-compliance with CBFC rules
• Onir recalled being told Kashmir stone throwing could not be shown

Filmmaker Onir has questioned what he described as selective treatment by Indian regulatory bodies such as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), after Honey Trehan’s Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh, was taken down from Zee5 two days after its premiere. The action followed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s intervention over the film’s lack of compliance with the CBFC.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Onir linked the move against Satluj to the recently released teaser of Neeraj Yadav’s action thriller Chauhaan, starring Ajay Devgn. Referring to the film’s apparent focus on stone pelting in Kashmir, he wrote, ‘Of course this will not face any issues with the CBFC board, nor will it be denied release as hurting an entire state’s sentiments, nor will it be pulled off any OTT. But a beautiful, important film based on real facts told in a manner not to incite hate will suffer.’

Satluj, previously titled Punjab ’95, has been facing a censorship battle for the past three years. The CBFC had asked for 127 cuts for a theatrical release and also told the makers to change the title and remove references to Punjab, saying these could hurt the sentiments of people from the state. At the same time, the teaser of Chauhaan, which appears to be centred on stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir, was released on YouTube and social media.

Here's the title announcement video of Chauhaan:

Onir, known for films such as I Am, also drew a parallel with his own recent experience with the CBFC. He wrote on X, "Recently I was told by the CBFC review committee, “You can’t show stone throwing in Kashmir,” when what was in my film is not any organised stone throwing, more an act of sudden impulse. Next, I see is the trailer of a film where the premise is the same."

He added to the wider discussion by noting that it is too early to say whether Chauhaan will be cleared without major cuts, while also pointing out that teasers of several films have been pulled down in recent times after allegations that they defamed a community.

He cited Ghooskhor Pandat, Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming Netflix India crime thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee, which was pulled down days after its release following opposition from the Brahmin community. The report also noted that, apart from the Kashmiri community, the Rajput group Kshatriya Prashad has disassociated its community from involvement in stone-pelting acts.

Onir has also been vocal in backing Satluj since it was taken off Zee5 last week. Sharing the streamer’s statement that the film was no longer available in India, he wrote, "Infuriating and very, very sad." Responding to a report that said the film was removed because it ‘could be misused by anti-India forces’, he posted, "OR maybe it encourages people to ask for accountability. There will always be people who misuse good stuff, that does not mean you BAN the good stuff. Those who would misuse will find other reasons."

He also criticised the film industry for not speaking in one voice on the issue.

Satluj stars Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra, the human rights activist who was abducted and murdered after exposing the extrajudicial deaths and cremations of more than 2,500 people in Punjab, involving the state police. The film’s removal from Zee5 and Onir’s response have again brought the debate over censorship, political sensitivity and selective treatment of films into focus.

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