The development comes amid a growing debate over censorship, historical representation and national security concerns linked to the film, which is based on the life of noted human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.

According to reports, the review panel was formed after an appeal by BJP Punjab president Keval Dhillon. BJP leader RP Singh confirmed that the committee would study the film’s content, factual claims and overall presentation before making recommendations. The film had originally been developed under the title Punjab 95 but was later renamed Satluj before its digital release.

The film briefly appeared on an OTT platform before being taken down. Government sources have claimed that the project did not receive the required approval from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in its original form. Officials have also cited concerns that certain portions of the film could potentially be misused by anti-India elements.

The removal has sparked sharp reactions from filmmakers, artists and free speech advocates, many of whom argue that the film tells an important chapter of Punjab’s history.

At the centre of the debate is Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who became internationally known during the 1990s for raising allegations of large-scale human rights violations in Punjab during the militancy era. Khalra claimed to have uncovered records suggesting that thousands of unidentified bodies had been secretly cremated after alleged fake encounters.

His work attracted national and international attention but also placed him in direct confrontation with powerful institutions.

On September 6, 1995, Khalra was allegedly abducted from outside his residence in Amritsar. His disappearance triggered one of the most significant human rights cases in modern Indian legal history.

What followed was a long and determined legal battle led by his wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra.

Within a day of the alleged abduction, she lodged a police complaint and began gathering witness accounts. As local investigations failed to provide answers, she approached the Supreme Court through a habeas corpus petition, seeking information about her husband’s whereabouts.

The case gradually exposed serious questions about the conduct of law enforcement agencies. Unsatisfied with the initial responses from Punjab Police, the Supreme Court eventually handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 1995.

For years, Paramjit Kaur continued pursuing the case, coordinating with investigators, collecting evidence and encouraging witnesses to testify despite fears of intimidation.

Her persistence eventually produced results.

In 2005, a CBI court convicted several police personnel in connection with the abduction and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. The case continued through appeals in higher courts. In 2007, the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld key findings and enhanced punishments for some of the convicted officials.

The legal battle finally reached its conclusion in 2011 when the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s judgment, bringing closure to a struggle that had lasted nearly sixteen years.

Despite the convictions, Paramjit Kaur has repeatedly stated that many questions surrounding her husband’s final moments remain unanswered. She has also continued advocating for families whose relatives allegedly disappeared during the turbulent years of militancy in Punjab.

The renewed attention generated by Satluj has once again brought Khalra’s work and sacrifice into public discussion. While the newly formed review committee examines the film, the larger debate over historical memory, artistic freedom and accountability is likely to continue.

For many observers, the controversy is no longer only about a film. It has reopened conversations about one of Punjab’s most sensitive and contested chapters, and about the people who spent decades seeking answers through the legal system.