'Satluj' effect: Centre eyes action against ZEE5, plans OTT censorship

Days after ordering the removal of Satluj from ZEE5, the Centre is allegedly considering action against the streaming platform for releasing the film without certification and is now weighing a far-reaching overhaul of India's digital content rules that would require all films to obtain Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance before they can stream online.

Government sources told PTI that the proposed amendment to the Information Technology Rules, 2021, would bring OTT platforms under a pre-certification regime for the first time, significantly expanding the state's oversight of digital films.

A senior government functionary said ZEE5 could face action for streaming Satluj even though the film was still under examination by the CBFC, which had reportedly suggested several cuts. The platform removed the film two days after its 3 July release following a government order invoking national security concerns.

The move comes amid growing controversy over Satluj, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, which tells the story of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. Khalra exposed the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994 before he was abducted and murdered by Punjab Police personnel in 1995. Several police officials were later convicted for the crime.

Although the film has been removed from ZEE5, it continues to be screened privately at venues including gurdwaras across Punjab, turning it into a political flashpoint ahead of next year's Assembly elections.

According to government sources, a committee set up to examine the film recommended that the ban on its public streaming continue, allegedly concluding that it went against India's sovereignty and integrity.

At present, OTT films do not require certification from the CBFC before release. Instead, they are governed by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, under which the government can direct intermediaries to block content under Section 69A of the IT Act on grounds including sovereignty, national security, defence and public order.

The proposed amendments would go much further by requiring streaming platforms to obtain CBFC clearance before releasing films online, effectively extending India's pre-release censorship framework from cinema halls to digital platforms.

Asked about reports of private screenings of Satluj without certification, the government said enforcement was the responsibility of state governments.

The proposal marks the latest escalation in the government's response to the film and is likely to revive debate over the growing use of executive powers and regulatory changes to restrict access to politically sensitive works, particularly on digital platforms where creators have so far operated outside the CBFC's pre-certification process.

With PTI inputs