Anurag Basu Compares ‘Satluj’ Director’s Ordeal To Iran’s Jafar Panahi

MUMBAI-Filmmaker Anurag Basu has voiced his support for director Honey Trehan after Trehan’s film ‘Satluj’ was taken down from an OTT platform in India.

Basu compared Trehan’s situation to acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who has faced years of state censorship, including house arrest, a prison sentence and a travel ban.

‘Satluj’ was removed from public viewing on the OTT platform over its sensitive content. In a statement on Instagram, the streaming platform said it had decided to “pause” the film in India in view of the “current developments,” but added that it “firmly” stood by the film. The platform also thanked viewers for their support, saying the response to the film had been “truly overwhelming.”

Actor Ranvir Shorey also expressed disappointment over the film being pulled, writing, “Utterly disappointing to hear ‘Satluj’ had been pulled! Have been waiting to watch it! For a land that has an ancient history and heritage of learning from stories, I don’t know why we keep emboldening a culture of burying them.”

The film, earlier titled ‘Punjab 95’, is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and is set against the backdrop of Punjab’s insurgency period. Directed by Honey Trehan, it follows a man’s pursuit of truth while highlighting allegations of enforced disappearances and the human cost borne by families seeking justice.

Actor Diljit Dosanjh plays a character inspired by Khalra, who campaigned against alleged human rights violations and was allegedly tortured and killed by Punjab Police. (IANS)