New Delhi: Nora Fatehi’s latest song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from the upcoming movie KD: The Devil, featuring Sanjay Dutt, triggered online criticism and legal action over its lyrics after the song was released on YouTube on 14 March. The lyrics, written by Raqueeb Alam, have phrases, supposedly about a beer bottle, like “Pehle uthale, andar wo daale (First he lifts and puts it in)”, which have been called out for crude double meaning and graphic sexual innuendos.
Amid the growing backlash, the makers have removed the song from YouTube.
A complaint has been filed by advocate and social activist Vineet Jindal against Nora Fatehi, Sanjay Dutt, lyricist Raqueeb Alam, and the director, Prem, in the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police. The film is produced by KVN Productions, which has also co-produced the upcoming film Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups.
“The lyrics of this song are very objectionable, the content is very vulgar. We have filed a complaint because the Central Board of Film Certification is an appropriate authority to take cognisance of this kind of issue, and also a complaint has been sent to the IB ministry regarding this song. We have requested that they ban this song and remove all the content of this song from social media and all platforms,” said Jindal in an interview with ANI.
The complaint seeks registration of an FIR under Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the IT Act, along with action for the removal of the song from social media platforms.
Jindal posted a screengrab of the complaint in a post on X.
“The picturisation of the song along with the provocative dance sequences further exacerbates the issue and promotes vulgarity in mainstream entertainment,” reads the complaint.
The criticism has extended beyond the Hindi version of the song. Viewers have flagged similar concerns with the original Kannada lyrics, questioning the content across both languages. Just days ago, rapper Badshah also courted controversy over the lyrics of his song tateeree — which shows schoolgirls dancing as the rapper sings the offensive lyrics. He later apologised and withdrew the song from all platforms.
Calls for ban
Uday Mahurkar, founder of Save Culture Save Bharat foundation and former Central Information Commissioner, also objected to the song. In a tweet, he appealed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vishnaw to ban the song and asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persecute Fatehi and Alam.
Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission of India, wrote that NHRC will be issuing notices to the filmmakers soon.
“There is no expectation of morality from Bollywood anyway, but it is shameful that the censor board is issuing license to obscenity,” wrote Kanoongo in Hindi.
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‘A new low’
On Monday, singer Armaan Malik also expressed shock over the lyrics of the song. “This showed up on my timeline and I had to replay it just to make sure I heard it right. Sad to see commercial songwriting hit a new low,” he wrote on X.
Actor and Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut has also spoken out against the song.
“Bollywood has crossed all limits with vulgarity, PR tactics, and attention-seeking. The entire country is condemning and reprimanding them, but I don’t think they feel any shame. This isn’t something new, as we have been hearing such songs since childhood. However, there have been restrictions on such content at times, and I believe there should now be even stricter measures,” Ranaut told ANI.
The film is scheduled to release in theatres on 30 April.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)