Diljit Dosanjh's 'Satluj' pulled from OTT: The CBFC row and takedown explained

Diljit Dosanjh's film 'Satluj' has been pulled from its OTT platform following a dispute with the Central Board of Film Certification, triggering one of the sharpest censorship debates in Indian entertainment in recent memory. The controversy centres on a conflict between the film's certification status and its streaming availability, with the takedown raising urgent questions about the regulatory framework governing OTT content in India.

The film's removal has drawn immediate and vocal reactions from across the film fraternity. Actor Ranvir Shorey described the OTT takedown as 'utterly disappointing', while comedian Kunal Kamra invoked the name of slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra — whose story the film reportedly touches upon — saying 'Jaswant Singh Khalra abducted again' in a pointed critique of the CBFC's role. The backlash signals how the controversy has moved well beyond a procedural dispute into the territory of free expression and historical memory.

The Times of India's detailed explainer traces the sequence of events from the initial CBFC row to the eventual OTT removal, providing context for what appears to be an escalating stand-off between the film's producers and the certification body. Hindustan Times, meanwhile, contextualised the episode by listing four other Indian OTT films and shows that have previously run into regulatory or legal trouble, suggesting that 'Satluj' is part of a broader pattern of content disputes on streaming platforms.

The episode arrives at a moment of heightened scrutiny of OTT regulation in India, with the government having extended CBFC-adjacent oversight to streaming content. For Dosanjh, who commands one of the most devoted fan followings in Indian popular culture, the takedown of 'Satluj' is likely to intensify both public sympathy and pressure on the authorities to clarify the grounds for the film's removal.