Highlights
- Community screenings of Satluj are being organised across Punjab after the film was removed from ZEE5 within two days of its release.
- Villagers, sports clubs, gurdwara committees and NRIs are funding LED screens, sound systems and refreshments.
- Families are gathering in gurdwaras, village squares and community spaces to watch the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer together.
Rather than disappearing after its brief release on ZEE5, Satluj has found an unexpected audience across Punjab, where villages are organising community screenings of the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer weeks after it was taken off the streaming platform.
From Moga and Ludhiana to Barnala, Sangrur and Amritsar, residents are gathering in gurdwara complexes, village community spaces and market areas to watch the film, which is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The screenings follow the film's removal from ZEE5 just two days after it became available online, ending a four-year wait for its release.
Why are Punjab villages screening Satluj?
Community screenings have been reported in districts including Moga, Sangrur, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Barnala and Amritsar.
There is no central organiser behind the initiative. In some villages, sports clubs have pooled funds to arrange LED screens and sound systems, while elsewhere local volunteers, gurdwara committees or families have covered the costs. Some screenings have also been funded by Punjabis living overseas.
The movement began with a screening in village 6H Patrora in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, which also caught Diljit Dosanjh's attention before similar events spread across Punjab.
How are the community screenings organised?
Most screenings begin after 6 pm, allowing villagers to attend after returning from work.
Where screenings take place inside gurdwara premises, attendees remove their shoes and cover their heads before entering. In other villages, audiences gather in community spaces or market areas.
Volunteers arrange seating, industrial coolers, LED walls and audio systems, while refreshments including drinking water and Rooh Afza are distributed at some venues. Families attend together, turning what would have been an individual streaming experience into a shared community event.
Prabh Deol, who hosted a screening at his banquet hall in Balian at the request of local residents, said the response had been overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Aman, who rents LED walls and sound systems, said demand for screenings had increased steadily, with bookings continuing across multiple villages.
Why was Satluj removed from ZEE5?
Satluj became available on ZEE5 after a four-year delay linked to its certification process with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). However, it was removed from the platform within two days of its release.
Copies downloaded while the film was available have since been shared privately, while the complete film has also appeared on several Facebook pages and in shorter clips on Instagram.
According to the report, Dosanjh encouraged fans to watch the film through downloaded links shortly after it was taken down.
As announcements for new screenings continue to appear daily on Facebook and Instagram, Satluj has continued to reach audiences across Punjab in a way that differs markedly from its original digital release.
