With hundreds of screenings of the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer “Satluj” across villages and towns in Punjab, five days after the movie was taken down from the OTT platform, political parties are using these viewings to set narratives and garner support.
Gurdwara management committees, youth clubs, political parties and outfits like Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Waris Punjab De have rented projectors and mini-trucks to organise public screenings of the movie, depicting life and work of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
All other issues in the poll-bound Punjab — launch of the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana or the Akal Takht’s declaration against Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann — have taken the backstage.
Such is the public demand for the movie that some of the ruling AAP leaders have also started organising the public screenings. Though the ruling party has abstained from making any official statement, it stated that the BJP-led Centre had ordered removal of the movie from the OTT platform.
Sardulgarh AAP MLA Gurpreet Singh Banawali said after public screenings of the movie in other segments, he started receiving requests from villagers of his Assembly to showcase the movie. “I am just cooperating with outfits that are screening ‘Satluj’,” he said.
Anandpur Sahib MP Malvinder Singh Kang said there’s a huge public demand for screening “Satluj” in his constituency. “Soon, I will decide on organising public screenings of this movie,” he added.
Interestingly, the Congress and BJP have not organised any screenings of the movie.
According to certain estimates, over 400 screenings of the movie have been held till Friday evening. Ajaypal Singh Brar, chief of the Misl Satluj, said they had organised 50 screenings of the movie till Friday.
When asked if the movie was setting any political narrative, Brar said, “Showcasing the movie is not about politics. We have screened the movie in Mohali, Kharar, Ropar, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Fazilka villages. ‘Satluj’ showcases our history and we own it.”
SAD and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) have declared that they would be holding public shows of ‘Satluj’ across the state.
Harcharan Singh Bains, principal adviser to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, said there was nothing wrong in screening the movie. “It should not be showcased in Punjab alone, but across the country. The message that this movie gives is that those in power often commit excesses and those who commit excesses do not go unpunished,” he said.
Manpreet Singh Ayali, senior leader of the Waris Punjab De, said their outfit was receiving demand to showcase the movie from across the state. “In the Dakha segment alone, we have held 25 shows. ‘Satluj’ is being screened daily in four villages,” he said.
Interestingly, ‘Satluj’ was also screened by Simar Pratap Singh Barnala at his residence in Barnala earlier this week. He is the grandson of former Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala, who remained in office during the days of terrorism from 1985-87.