NEW DELHI: Indian audiences have continued watching the film “Sutlej” despite its removal from an online platform, with screenings reportedly being organized in makeshift venues after viewers downloaded the movie.
The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who documented alleged extrajudicial killings in India’s Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s, was released on July 3 before being removed from its streaming platform on July 5, reportedly over security-related concerns.
According to reports, the film’s removal sparked controversy, with residents in several locations organizing informal community screenings using downloaded copies. Large crowds reportedly gathered at these makeshift venues, with some screenings drawing full-house audiences.
Actor Diljit Dosanjh, who plays the lead role in the film, said the movie could no longer be suppressed because people had already downloaded and shared it.
He added that attempts had been made in the past to silence similar voices, but said such efforts were becoming increasingly difficult.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was a prominent human rights activist who investigated allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Punjab. He was abducted in 1995, and Indian courts later convicted several police officers in connection with his abduction and murder. The film recounts his life and activism.