‘Satluj’ actor Varun Badola has revealed that he is yet to watch Diljit Dosanjh’s film and refuses to watch a pirated copy, calling the film’s ban “daylight robbery”. He noted that he was not aware of the film’s release initially. The biopic on Jaswant Singh Khalra also stars Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vaidya.
Since its quiet release on OTT on July 3, which was followed by a global ban, ‘Satluj’, which was previously titled ‘Panjab 95’, has created quite a stir on social media. The film, titled Diljit Dosanjh, is a biopic on Jaswant Singh Khalra and has already been watched by a large global audience. There is one person who has not watched it yet, and that is ‘Satluj’ actor Varun Badola. In a recent interview, Varun, who plays lawyer Ravinder Jais in the film, said he has no intention of watching a pirated version of it.
Varun Badola talks about the OTT takedown of Satluj
Just 48 hours after its release, ‘Satluj’ was pulled from ZEE5, though it remained available internationally on the platform. However, a recent update indicates that the Honey Trehan directorial is no longer available for viewing abroad as well. Meanwhile, the Diljit-directed film was screened in Jammu for local communities, and the Delhi Gurdwara Sikh Management Committee announced plans to host more screenings at gurdwaras.
Varun Badola refuses to watch the pirated version
During an Instagram Live session, Diljit urged fans to share copies of the film on social media. Amid this, Varun Badola, speaking to News18, addressed the removal of Satluj from OTT and stated that he will never watch its pirated version. He mentioned that he had seen videos on Instagram and other platforms showing the film being shown in villages, but said he had certain principles when it came to watching cinema.
He said: “We continue to fight piracy. I understand that this situation is completely different, but I still cannot defend piracy. I will not watch the pirated version. This is a rule I have always followed.”
Varun Badola recalls that he was clueless about the film’s release
Varun said he will wait and watch the film later. Recalling how he had no idea about Satluj’s release, the actor said his friends first told him about his look and character in the film, which left him confused, as he initially assumed they were referring to a different project.
It was only when they specifically mentioned the title ‘Satluj’ that he realized that until then, he didn’t even know he had worked on a film with that name.
He was with his family when the film was shown on ZEE5, and he and his wife Rajeshwari had planned to watch it at the appropriate time, but it was taken down before they could. “It’s not like I didn’t watch it because they wanted to produce and release it in complete secrecy. Every time Honey asked me to watch it, I never got around to it,” he explained.
Varun Badola calls the ban ‘daylight robbery’
The actor reacted sharply to the film’s ban, calling the removal of ‘Satluj’ ‘daylight robbery’. He pointed out that several films had faced bans in the past, saying: “Sometimes the powers that be feel that correcting course is important. Only they know why they decided to ban our film.” Varun also felt that officials should have watched the film “Satluj” before deciding to ban it. It is worth noting that a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the “illegal” public showings of the film in Punjab, following which the inter-departmental committee reviewed Diljit’s film and ruled that it should continue to be banned from public access in the country.
Varun Badola’s ‘Satluj’ stars Arjun Rampal
The film stars Arjun Rampal,
Sophender Vicky
and Geetika Vaidya in pivotal roles. ‘Satluj’ was originally scheduled to release in 2023 but was postponed due to delay in obtaining certification from CBFC.
