Amid the controversy surrounding ‘Satluj’, director Honey Trehan dismissed allegations that his Diljit Dosanjh-starrer is a propaganda film, capable of disturbing communal harmony. Referring to the controversy surrounding the film, the director stated that the response on the ground tells a different story, claiming that Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab watched the film peacefully. Trehan said that ‘Satluj’ was never meant to provoke the audience, and therefore, there was no reason to ban it.“Are there any grounds for this statement? They say my film will harm the law and order situation in Punjab. On the contrary, my film actually unites Punjab. You go to Punjab and see, people are watching movies. They say that my film has polarized society and divided Hindus and Sikhs, but on the ground, Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab are watching the movie. It is not meant to provoke anyone. My film is a balm for the wounds of people who have suffered a lot… I don’t think there is any reason to ban it,” the director told The Indian Express.Trehan further argued that the controversy only worsened after the government’s intervention, maintaining that the audience was peacefully watching the film before it was removed from the platform.“People watched my film peacefully in their homes for the first 48 hours. There were no issues with it. But the government banned the film, and now it has become a movement. 10 days have passed; everyone watched the film with peace, harmony, and ‘langar’ was served to them,” he continued. Questioning the different treatment of films accused of carrying political messages, the filmmaker said that ‘Satluj’ deserves an equal opportunity to reach the audience.“Even if you say that my movie is a propaganda film, then it will be released like you release other propaganda films. Why should we be different? We are a very big country. One film will not harm our social fabric,” concluded Trehan.‘Satluj’ aired on ZEE5 in India on July 3 but was pulled from the platform within 48 hours. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting later clarified that the film was released without completing the mandatory certification process. According to the Center, the OTT release did not meet the required regulatory norms, following which ZEE5 was ordered to remove it from the Indian catalog.“Satluj does not have the required certification for a theatrical release. Instead of following the certification process, the makers changed the title of the film and released it on an OTT platform on Friday,” an official from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry told news agency ANI.Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Satluj’ is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed alleged illegal cremations and extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy of the 1980s and 1990s. The film is currently not available for streaming in India.