Banned in India, open-air screening at London gurdwara: Hundreds watch Diljit-starrer 'Satluj' at Southall car park

Hundreds of people attended a free open-air screening of the film “Satluj” in the car park of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall, London.

According to West London's local media platform UB1UB2, the screening was organised by the gurdwara on Sunday evening.

The Instagram post showed men, women, elderly and children sitting together to watch the film, with extra chairs brought in as the crowd kept arriving even after the screening had begun.

“Satluj”, starring Diljit Dosanjh and inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was removed from streaming platform ZEE5 48 hours after its release on July 3.

Since its removal, people have been organising independent screenings of the film in towns and villages across Punjab, and now by communities overseas.

After the removal, Diljit Dosanjh, in an Instagram live, said he was glad the film had reached people at home. A PIL seeking the film's restoration has also been filed recently.

Related news: Bittu objects to film ‘Satluj’, backs demand for inquiry into militancy-era killings

The film has also been screened at several gurdwaras in Punjab and Delhi.

The basement hall of Govindpuri Gurdwara in South East Delhi was packed to capacity on July 11 evening as the management screened the film, which captures alleged human rights violations by security forces at the height of terrorism in Punjab. As people watched, a heavy Rapid Action Force (RAF) contingent kept watch outside the gurdwara.

With hundreds of screenings of the film, political parties are also using these viewings to draw support. Gurdwara committees, youth clubs, political parties and outfits have rented projectors and mini-trucks to organise public screenings.

Meanwhile, a government panel reviewing the film decided to confirm the orders that bar its online streaming, citing national security concerns. The panel relied on a 2023 ruling by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which had refused to approve the film, then titled “Ghallughara”, in its present form, seeking 127 cuts.

The filmmakers had moved court against the CBFC but did not get relief, and finally dropped the case in July 2025 before streaming the film under its new name on ZEE5 on July 3. The Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) blocked the film on July 5 and subsequently met with its producers and ZEE5 to ask how a red-flagged film could have streamed online.