Filmmaker: Ram Gopal Varma expressed his support for: Diljit Dosanjh‘Satluj’, previously titled ‘Punjab ’95’, after the film was pulled from its OTT platform just two days after its OTT premiere. The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and finally released on the platform on July 3 after years of delay.Reacting to the film, Ram Gopal Varma described ‘Satluj’ as a bold and necessary piece of cinema. He urged the authorities not to ban the film, saying it fearlessly revisits one of the darkest chapters in Indian history without relying on sensationalism. He wrote, “Just saw SATLUJ and it’s not a film, but a deep wound that will never heal. It wakes up the mud of one of the darkest chapters in our history. It’s cinema used as confrontation, where @diljitdosanjh acts with a silent rage without any heroism in the chest.. His weapons are a ledger and a conscience. @rampalarjun adds layers of moral decay to the institutional partnership that feels so real. He also praised director Honey Trehan’s restrained narration, saying the film derives its impact from reality rather than extreme exaggeration. “Director @honeytrehan instead of sensationalizing the horror reveals the film like a slow burning investigative thriller through bureaucratic files, cremation records, and silent conversations. This restraint makes the brutality of the subject more difficult because it explodes with the force of truth and not exploitation. The philosophical core of the film about how a democracy devours its own citizens and then tries to erase the evidence is explored without any preaching and that is not done normally,” he added.Referring to the controversy over the removal of the film from the OTT platform, Varma said that the developments only highlight the importance of ‘Satluj’. He added that art fulfills its purpose when it challenges those in positions of power.“The various issues surrounding its exhibition and publication prove that any art that makes the powerful uncomfortable has done its job, and that is the true purpose of true art, which is SATLUJ. It is a very brave important filmmaking because it disrupts, educates, and remains. In times where the main stream chases the spectacle and popcorn cinema, SUTLEJ reminds the truth of what is true which is difficult to make cinema in a medium. SATLUJ is a film that needs to be seen, shown, discussed, debated and not SEEN like the victims of the film,” he wrote.At the end of his post, the filmmaker made an emotional appeal, urging the authorities not to silence the film. “My appeal to all powers is, please don’t do to SATLUJ what was done to JASWANT SINGH KALRA. THE TRUTH IS HARDER WHEN ONE TRY TO HIDE IT. — AYN RAND.”Directed by Honey Trehan, ‘Satluj’ finally aired on ZEE5 on July 3 after nearly four years of delays and prolonged certification hurdles derailed the planned theatrical release. However, the film was pulled from the streaming platform within just two days of its release.