Diljit Dosanjh's 'Satluj' was recently removed from Zee5. Amid that, a video of the film's director sharing how the actor didn't ask for a cent to be in the film has surfaced online.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSatluj has been making headlines since its release on July 3, 2026. The film starring Diljit Dosanjh follows the real-life 1995 abduction of Jaswant Singh Khalra by the Punjab Police. Labelled a chilling finisher, the film reflects on the grim reality of what happened to Khalra. However, two days after its release, Satluj was removed from Zee5 on the evening of July 5, 2026.
Now, an old interview with the film's director, Honey Tehran, has resurfaced, in which he speaks about how the film came to be and how Diljit Dosanjh refused to take any remuneration for it.
Satluj has been removed from Zee5. However, the buzz around the film is nowhere near over. Amid the same, an old interview with the film's director, Honey Tehran, has surfaced online. During the conversation, he recalled how Diljit refused to charge them for the film. The director revealed that Diljit was so delighted to play the role that he refused to take any payment. However, given the contract required a number, they paid him a very small part of his market price. Honey revealed that he couldn't have otherwise afforded to cast Diljit and stated:
"Haath jod ke he said, 'Waheguru ji'. He said, 'Paaji kab aana hai? Kitthe karna hai? Tusi bas das do, mai utthe khada milunga.' Diljit Dosanjh never asked for a single rupee to play this role. We paid him because of the contracts; he never asked. He just said 'kuch nahi'."
Like they say, "great minds think alike". Something similar happened when Honey called Diljit to meet him to discuss a film. However, when he mentioned that he wanted to make a film post the 1984 riots, Diljit shared that there were not many stories that could be made into a film. It was at that moment that Diljit suggested making a film about Jaswant Singh Khalra. He was quoted as saying:
"We sat, and I told Diljit paaji that the film I want to make is about the post-1984 period. Diljit paaji looked at me and said, 'Paaji ek baat sachhi batau, 1984 ke baad mein na kuch esi kahaaniyan hain nahi Punjab mein, ki jinkey upar ek upri ki upri film khadi ki jaa sakey.' Toh maine kahan 'accha' Maine kaha, 'ki nahi kuch ek cheezein mene padhi.'"
Diljit thought about it for a minute, then mentioned a story that could work. Honey recalled Diljit's exact words and said, "Paaji ek story hai definitely hai, ek bohot badi shaksiyat thi aur unka naam hai Jaswant Singh Khalra." Nonetheless, there was a tiny problem: the family was not ready to grant rights to the film to anyone.
In the same conversation, Honey further revealed that it was after Diljit mentioned Jaswant Singh Khalra that he brought his research book and showed the singer-actor the film he wanted to make. And surprisingly, they both had the same idea for the film. He revealed that's how Diljit came to play Jaswant Singh Khalra in the film. He stated:
"So I had the research book; maine tab tak sirf research hi ki thi. Uske first page pe Jaswant Singh Khalra saab ki photo thi, and upar likha tha 'JSK'. Toh maine woh nikaali maine kaha, 'Paaji, ye rahi', and maine apni table pe rakh di, and I said, 'Paaji, I want to make Jaswant Singh Khalra, and I want you to play Jaswant Singh Khalra. I have all the rights; the family is with me, so this is what I want to do, and I will be very happy if you will play Jaswant Singh Khalra'."
What are your thoughts on Honey Tehran's revelations about Satluj and Diljit Dosanjh? Let us know.
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