Projectors, Open Skies and Packed Courtyards: ‘Satluj’ Screenings Revive the Charm of 90s Community Cinema

The unexpected removal of Satluj from an OTT platform has led to an unusual trend across parts of Punjab, where villages have begun organising community screenings that are reminding many of the golden days of the 1990s, when films were enjoyed together in open grounds and neighbourhood gatherings.

In several villages across the Majha region, downloaded copies of the film are being screened on large projector screens in open courtyards, playgrounds and village gurdwaras. As night falls, residents of all ages gather with family and friends, turning the screenings into community events that evoke memories of a time before multiplexes and streaming services became the norm.

On Tuesday evening, such screenings were held in Pandori village of Amritsar district, Shekhupura and Panjwar in Gurdaspur, besides several villages in Tarn Taran. Similar events also drew sizeable crowds in Daroli Bhai and Ghal Kalan villages, while more screenings are being planned in villages across Moga.

What has stood out is not just the film but the atmosphere surrounding these gatherings. Families, youngsters and elderly residents have been coming together with chairs and mats to watch the movie under the open sky, recreating a style of film viewing that many believed had disappeared with the arrival of digital entertainment.

Local youth have taken the lead in arranging the projector shows, while community members have extended support by helping with seating, sound systems and venues. In one such initiative, sports promoter Sultan Singh hosted a screening in his native village, inviting athletes and local residents to watch the film together.

Beyond the movie itself, the screenings have become an occasion for people to reconnect with neighbours, spend time outdoors and relive a collective cinema experience that once defined entertainment in villages across Punjab. For many attendees, the gatherings have rekindled memories of an era when entire communities would come together to enjoy films on makeshift screens.

As more villages announce similar events, the screenings are emerging as more than just movie nights—they are bringing back the nostalgia of community cinema and offering a reminder that shared entertainment still has the power to unite people in an age dominated by personal screens.