Movie under scanner for use of ‘khanda’ on costume

GS Paul

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 25

Another upcoming Bollywood movie has stirred up a controversy after a Sikh religious symbol was used in its promos.

A poster of A Flying Jatt, which features actor Tiger Shroff as a superhero, have sparked anger among the Sikh fraternity due to the use of ‘khanda’ (a religious symbol) on the chest of his costume that has a stark resemblance with Nihang Bana (a traditional attire of Nihang Singhs). The poster of the movie, unveiled recently, has a tagline “Hope has a new name”.

The Dharam Parchar Committee (a panel of SGPC) has taken cognisance of this “lapse”. Additional Secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhurakaunda said the matter was under consideration and would be referred to the SGPC.

“The use of a Sikh religious symbol on the costume, which has a stark resemblance with the Nihang Bana, appeared to be sacrilege at the first instance. The Dharam Parchar Committee will deliberate to observe if it actually has hurt religious sentiments. Thereafter, the matter would be referred to the SGPC to take a final call. If need be, the makers of the film or those who played the role in an offensive manner could be questioned and called up for changing the objectionable costume,” he said.

Incidentally, this is not the first film which has sparked a row due to presentation of a Sikh character or religious symbols.

On October 2, Akshay Kumar-starrer “Singh is Bling”, too, had courted a controversy. The Akal Takht had raised objections to certain scenes in the movie and the filmmaker had to remove these before its release. Singh is King, Jo Bole So Nihal, Son of Sardar and Singh Sahib the Great had also been in news for similar reasons.

To avoid such lapses, the SGPC has also made attempts to get its representative on the panel of Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) by passing a resolution in its executive and submitting it to the Union Government, but in vain.