'Satluj': Anurag Kashyap Speaks on Controversy; Urges People To Watch Film Despite Ban

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap hasn't held back from expressing his views on the recent ban on Honey Trehan's Satluj.

On July 5, ZEE5 issued a statement informing viewers that the Diljit Donsanjh-starrer would no longer be available in India, pulled just 48 hours after its India release. Well aware of the controversy that has surrounded the biographical drama, Kashyap took to Instagram to voice his thoughts.

The filmmaker reposted a story that announced the removal of the film from the streaming platform, adding his own take. In his story, he wrote:

"The thing about banning something is that the more you ban something, the more people want to watch it. I was not even planning to watch this film, but now I will have to watch it to understand why it got banned."

He also shared another Instagram Story, urging the public to watch the film, even if it meant using pirated copies.

Kashyap has continued speaking out on the issue, reposting several other stories related to the ban — including a video of how the ban failed to stop the film from reaching villages in Punjab and Rajasthan, Satluj's rise as IMDBs highest-rated film of 2026, clips of civilians and news reporters confronting the Indian government, and those of locals reacting to the ban that show the movie's deep emotional resonance with them.

Just a day after the ban, Dosajh, who portrays human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in the film, also broke his silence on an Instagram Live. He said: "I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. This was already on my mind. It is not something to be shocked about (the ban). I thought that it would be banned on Monday when the offices open."

However, the actor-singer said he is happy that the film at least reached the audience, especially the youth. "I saw a lovely video about the film being shown at a gurudwara, possibly in Rajasthan. I am satisfied that the film has reached you. This was the only way to release the film... without saying anything because this was bound to happen."