Jul 08, 2026 2:33pm IST
Suvinder Vicky (SSP Surjit Singh Sugga in ‘Satluj’) On The ‘Long, Exhausting’ Journey of the Film (EXCLUSIVE)
The release of “Satluj” on Zee5 on July 3 briefly marked the end of its three-year-long battle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which had kept the film off screens. However, the OTT platform abruptly pulled the film in India on July 5. The biographical, which was earlier titled ‘Punjab 95’, based on the life of social activist Jaswant Singh Khalra (Diljit Dosanjh), has Suvinder Pal Vicky brilliantly essaying the role of the trigger-happy SSP Surjit Singh Sugga.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, the “Kohrra” actor reflects on the film’s abrupt removal from streaming, the challenge of portraying one of its darkest characters while simultaneously playing a very different police officer in "Kohrra" and why he continues to choose roles that offer substance over screen time.
What was your first reaction when ‘Satluj’ was taken off from Zee5 in India just two days after it began streaming?
My opinion is that if we are still clinging to the belief that we are liable to heal our old wounds, or if we think that our present or future or generations will not be able to digest the truth, then that is wrong. As for the rest, whatever game was being played to stop our film, it is still going on. As soon as this film was streamed, it was removed from the OTT platform in India within a couple of days.
This should not have happened. It has been a long, exhausting journey. We did what we had to - the pre-production, the shoot and the post-production. Everyone was happy, and things were going well. We were full of hope and optimism, but nobody had an inkling of what would happen next.
How did the team deal with the delay in the film’s release?
Honey Trehan, Ronnie Screwvala, we actors, the whole team did our work and moved on to our next project, but it was exhausting for us because everyone kept asking about the film’s release. Finally, when it was streamed for two days, everyone was very gung-ho about it. But that didn’t last long.
Related Stories
Was it difficult to say yes to playing someone as ruthless as SSP Surjit Singh Sugga?
Not at all. After Honey Trehan narrated the role, I did some research about the character. What kind of a person he was and what he was like. Gradually, I started finding it more interesting. The shoot of "Kohraa," in which I played the role of a police inspector, Balbir Singh, was about to end just as I was about to begin shooting for “Satluj.” I was shooting for "Kohrra" in Ludhiana during the day, and at night I was in a village near Tarn Taran to shoot a scene for “Satluj.” I faced a major challenge as an actor. Sugga and Balbir were both cops and the uniform was the same khaki, but there was a radical difference between them. The cop in Satluj was a brutal person. It was a big challenge for me. I put in my 100% and I think I have been successful. People have told me they hate this character, and I do too.
For me, it was so important to keep Suvinder aside and play Sugga. The violence or injustice that the police did to the common people at that time had to be told. It was really a dark period for Punjab.
Given the praise you have received, why does the audience see very little of you on screen?
I do my work with full honesty, so it feels good. As for doing little work, I do as much work as I get. I have the hunger to work. I want to enjoy my work. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small role, but there should be something in it… some kind of challenge. So, if I get a lot of work, I will give it my 100% and entertain people.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.