Satluj (2026 film)

Jaswant Singh Khalra, a bank employee in Amritsar, begins investigating a rise in unclaimed bodies at local morgues and crematoria after the disappearance of a friend, Kirpal Singh, and later Kirpal's mother, Bibi Gurpesh Kaur. A police officer, Satnam, assists him. As Khalra's inquiry continues, his wife Paramjit remains supportive despite threats and surveillance directed at the family. A police officer named Sugga and his subordinates attempt to intimidate Khalra into abandoning his investigation. After Khalra disappears, public pressure spurred by Paramjit leads to a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry led by an officer named Samudra.

• Diljit Dosanjh as Jaswant Singh Khalra
• Geetika Vidya Ohlyan as Paramjit
• Suvinder Vicky as SP Surjit Singh Sugga
• Arjun Rampal as Samudra Singh, a CBI officer
• Kanwaljit Singh as DGP Bitta
• Saurabh Sachdeva as Satnam Singh
• Vansh Bhardwaj as a police officer
• Varun Badola as a lawyer Jais
• Nassar as DGP S. P. Varma
• Jyoti Dogra
• Amardeep Jha

The film was initially titled as Ghallughara, which means historical massacre of sikhs. In December 2022, the film was stuck in a six month long certification process, with the CBFC demanding 21 cuts and a title change. Later, the production house challenged the decision in Bombay High Court.^[9] After intervention of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the film was decided to be released uncut, but with its new title Punjab '95, after objections were raised by CBFC on the previous title.^[10][11] Later, the revising committee of CBFC reviewed the film and demanded more than 120 cuts.^[12] The official teaser was removed from YouTube in India, a day after its release.^[13] In March 2025, an uncut international release was announced for 16 May 2025, in multiple countries, excluding India. However, the release was postponed once again for undisclosed reasons.^[14] Trehan and Dosanjh said they would not release a version of the film altered to meet the board's demands.^[15]

In 2023, the film was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was removed from the line-up at the last moment.^[16][17] Finally, the film's uncut version was digitally released on ZEE5 from 3 July 2026.^[3]

Summarize Fact Check

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "Satluj is a powerful political film that pulls no punches, It is unmissable. Its title may have changed, its power hasn't diminished one bit".^[18] Shubhra Gupta writing for The Indian Express rated it 3.5 stars out of 5 and writes that "But there’s nothing generic about the film. It is a powerful, moving account of a lone man holding up a candle to dispel darkness. Take a bow, Honey Trehan, and Team Satluj; this is a clear win for filmmakers who want to tell the story of an actual person, time and place, with unwavering conviction."^[19]

Reviewing the film for Scroll.in, Nandini Ramnath called it a harrowing and heart-rending account of unchecked state power, praising Dosanjh's understated performance and the ensemble cast, including Ohlyan, Vicky and Rampal. She wrote that the film's insistence on Khalra's religious motivations understates the leftist political tradition the real Khalra came from, and that its 163-minute runtime includes some indulgent stretches, but called it one of the sharpest political films in recent memory.^[4]

Outlook called it one of the year's most essential films and praised Dosanjh and Suvinder Vicky's performances, describing Vicky's character as a chilling study in institutional cruelty.^[20]

Writing in India TV News, the critic praised the muted cinematography and restrained score but found the editing loose in places, arguing that trimming around fifteen minutes would have tightened the film, and gave it three and a half out of five stars.^[21]

Sunday Guardian Live called it a fearless docu-drama and praised Dosanjh's performance as a departure from his earlier screen persona.^[22]

Giving the film three stars, Free Press Journal called it a sincere and necessary work with a clear moral spine, praising Dosanjh's understated lead performance and Arjun Rampal and Kanwaljit Singh's supporting turns, and noted that the film favours atmosphere over spectacle.^[23]

Shilajit Mitra of The Hollywood Reporter India stated that it Hearty and Harrowing and The Finest Indian Films of The Year.^[24] Critc of Bollywood Hungama rated it 3.5/5 stars and state d that "SATLUJ brings a deeply disturbing true story to the screen with remarkable sensitivity and is powered by marvellous performances from Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Vicky."^[25]

Neeshita Nyayapati reviewing for Hindustan Times gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "Satluj might seem like the story of just one person, one region, and the horrific acts that occurred during a single period. But beneath the tension-filled and heartbreaking tale lies the answer to whether one person could ever bring about social change. More than just a sharp political film, Satluj is a reminder that a lamp can vanquish darkness, a relevant message for today's world."^[26] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu writes in his review that "Diljit Dosanjh shines as a solitary lamp whose conviction outlasts the darkest night in this moving tribute to social activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, where director Honey Trehan examines the rhetoric around the dehumanisation of citizens."^[1]

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated it 4/5 stars and said that "Satluj is not conventional entertainment, nor does it aspire to be. It is a film that educates, disturbs and moves in equal measure. It honours the memory of a man who chose truth over safety and conscience over silence. At a time when meaningful cinema often struggles to find space, films like this become all the more valuable."^[27]

Agnivo Niyogi of The Telegraph (India) appreciated the performances of Diljit Dosanjh, the supporting cast (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Saurabh Sachdeva, Suvinder Vicky, Kanwaljit Singh and Arjun Rampal), K.U. Mohanan’s cinematography, Sreekar Prasad’s editing and filmmaker, Honey Trehan. For the latter, he wrote, "Trehan refuses to reduce systemic abuse to isolated incidents or a handful of villains. Instead, he patiently shows how institutions can normalise extraordinary violence when accountability disappears."^[28]