The Sikh public outcry has borne fruit and leading Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and his producers have relented and even though at the last hour before the release of the movie ZERO, they have withdrawn the objectionable poster where he is shown wearing the Kirpan and the blasphemous scene as shown in the trailer has been deleted.

After dilly-dallying for two months, including an aborted attempt to wade through the controversy by convincing Delhi MLA and DSGMC secretary general Manjinder Singh Sirsa that the impugned scene objected to by Sikhs did not show Shah Rukh Khan wearing the Kirpan but a dagger, the producer company Red Chillies Entertainment through an affidavit to the Mumbai High Court has reluctantly agreed to remove the objectionable scene by saying that they have replaced the said Kirpan with an ornamental sword.

Petioner Amritpal Singh had contended that Shah Rukh Khan in one of the 20 second sequences in the trailer of the movie Zero and in the film posters is shown to be wearing a “kirpan in gatra” around his neck and shoulder along with an undergarment and a garland of 500 rupee notes. This depiction of the Kirpan which is one of the five symbols of the Sikh faith is derogatory to the Sikh religion and is blasphemous.

Filing an 11 page affidavit, Shah Rukh Company Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, which has produced the movie Zero has said, “With a view to ensure that no religious or cultural sentiments are hurt, despite the fact that the Film and its poster depicted only an ornamental dagger and not a kirpan, steps have been taken by Respondent No. 5 (the production company) to alter the relevant scenes in the Film. The portions in question have been altered through visual effects to depict an ornamental sword and it is this final copy of the Film that was submitted for certification to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The poster complained of (which is one of 5 official posters for the Film) has been removed from the official channels of communication of these Respondents.”

Petitioner Advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa of Mumbai informed the World Sikh News that the matter could not be discussed in detail as it was not listed, but the respondents have filed an affidavit saying that they have withdrawn the poster carrying the objectionable photo as well as deleted the impugned scene. He said that the lawyers of Shah Rukh Khan have confirmed that no Kirpan is depicted in the movie Zero now.

When the Sikhs objected to the depiction of the Kirpan, the Zero makers tried to wriggle out of the situation by telling to Manjinder Singh Sirsa that it was a dagger, and not a Kirpan.  The respondent also said that he was not depicting a Sikh character and that he was not wearing the Kirpan. Unfortunately, without verification, this was accepted by the Delhi MLA and DSGMC general secretary Mr Sirsa.

Though the case is still pending in the High Court, the movie Zero, is likely to see the light of the day on 21 December when it is slated to be released worldwide. It should however be noted that despite protests from Singh Sabha Mumbai and Sikhs from Punjab as well as being a respondent in the case filed in the Mumbai High Court, the Central Board of Film Certification has not filed any reply so far in the court. This matter will be taken up by the court when it reopens in January after the winter vacations.

The petitioner Amritpal Singh Khalsa, speaking to the World Sikh News said that the CBFC has a lot to answer and that he will take this up after the vacation that despite the seriousness of the situation, the CBFC has not filed any replied in the court.

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Vice President of Singh Sabha Mumbai, Kulwant Singh speaking to WSN said that if the affidavit is to be believed, it is good that better sense has prevailed but we still fail to fathom as to why producers, actors and directors resort to such stupid acts which are derogatory in nature. He said that Singh Sabha has received a communication from the CBFC but they did not make any effort to call us to review the disputed scene before or after the purported correction. We will continue our campaign for having a Sikh member nominated to the CBFC screening Committee in Mumbai, Delhi and other centres.