Against national security: Govt panel says OTT ban on ‘Satluj’ to stay

The online ban on Diljit Dosanjh-starrer “Satluj” will continue, the high-level government committee reviewing the matter said today, citing the imperatives of national security and sovereignty. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s inter-departmental committee (IDC), which reviews controversial OTT content, had on July 5 ordered an interim blocking of the Honey Trehan production on ZEE5 and engaged stakeholders before formalising a final call on the film’s future.

Overall OTT content is not regulated in India, but the IDC, a standing committee set up under the Information Technology Act 2000, is authorised to review OTT content and block it if it threatens public safety. It draws this power from Section 69A of the Act.

This section empowers the government to block public access to any information in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence, security, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, or for preventing incitement to cognisable offences.

It was under this provision that the takedown of “Satluj” from ZEE5 was ordered, after the film was streamed on July 3.

The IDC, constituted in 2021 under IT Act rules, had engaged “Satluj” producers and ZEE5 on the issue and asked them how a film, red-flagged by the censor board in the past, had made it online and why due diligence was not done before it was streamed.

On Sunday also, when the IDC imposed an interim ban on the film, it had taken the call under Section 69A and in view of the concerns that portions of the film could be misused by anti-national forces.

The Central Board of Film Certification had denied approvals to the film — then presented to it under title “Ghallughara” — on the same grounds. It was later renamed “Punjab ’95”.

The filmmakers moved court against the censor board’s decision to seek cuts in the production. They failed to secure court relief and later withdrew the case in July 2025. The filmmakers went ahead and streamed the movie online under a brand new name.