Cinema VinesIndian cinema has once again found itself under the microscope after the 48‑hour removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s film Satlaj (formerly titled Punjab ’95) from theatres. The decision to pull a certified movie has sparked debate among filmmakers, actors and audiences alike, raising questions about censorship and the limits of creative freedom in the country’s film industry.
Actor and veteran storyteller Tillotama Shome has weighed in on the controversy, arguing that censorship is only one of many obstacles that storytellers face. “Whether it’s the restraints of censorship, or the difficulty of mounting a film that financiers, producers or distributors feel won’t find an audience, these are part of the challenge of storytelling, and they’ve been there from time immemorial,” she said. Shome believes that every era presents a different set of hurdles, but that the urge to tell and hear stories endures regardless of the obstacles.
Shome reflected on the broader dynamics between dominant and emerging voices in cinema, noting that “when something new emerges, there’s excitement about it, and then it becomes established, loses its flexibility, and once again makes way for something else.” She added that storytelling has survived because it is an elemental human need to remember the past, make sense of the present and hope for the future, even when challenges make it difficult.
Looking back at her own career, Shome highlighted that her biggest struggle was not censorship but finding an audience in India. Many of her films performed well abroad before gaining traction at home. “Quite a few of my films have done very well in the international theatrical distribution, but they didn’t have the same reach in my own country,” she recalled. The shift came with the rise of OTT platforms, where shows like Sir, Delhi Crime and Kota Factory helped her connect with Indian viewers.
In her recent work on the film Ikka, Shome says the industry has taught her that change is the only constant. She noted that after filming Monsoon Wedding on celluloid, the world moved to digital, and she was told cinema was dead. “This was 25 years ago. I was only 20 and I actually believed it because people around me kept saying…,” she said, underscoring how rapidly the medium has evolved and how storytellers must adapt to survive.
