Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is inspired by the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role and follows the disappearance and illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies during Punjab's militancy era in the 1980s and 1990s

Writer Niren Bhatt recently addressed the controversy surrounding the removal of Satluj from ZEE5, rejecting claims that the film's brief availability on the streaming platform was a planned marketing stunt. He also appealed to viewers to avoid pirated versions and wait for the film to return through official channels.

Speaking to NDTV, Bhatt said the makers had always envisioned Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh, as a theatrical release before it eventually made its way to OTT.

"This (removing the film after two days on ZEE5) is not a marketing stunt. Every producer wants the film to recover the budget of the film they are making. The first wish was that the film be released in theatres. We made the film for theatres and hoped that the film would travel well through word of mouth like Main Vaapas Aaunga. That wish couldn't come true. Then the film came on OTT," the screenwriter said.

Bhatt also explained that streaming platforms naturally seek to attract subscribers through the films they acquire. According to him, ZEE5 had planned to promote Satluj during the FIFA tournament and had also benefited from adding the film to its catalogue. He maintained that the release and subsequent removal were never intended as a publicity exercise.