A song from an upcoming Kannada film has landed multiple government bodies in trouble. India's National Human Rights Commission has taken serious note of the controversy around 'Sarke Chunar', a track from the film 'KD: The Devil', directing authorities to act within two weeks.
Tuesday saw the NHRC bench, headed by member Priyank Kanoongo, issue formal notices, reported Hindustan Times. The commission invoked the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, stating that the complaints prima facie point to a human rights violation.
Monday marked the release of 'Sarke Chunar', a dance track picturised on actors Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt. Public reaction on social media was swift and largely critical. 'KD: The Devil', the film it belongs to, is scheduled to hit screens next month.
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Notices issued to four bodies
Four organisations received notices from the NHRC: the Central Board of Film Certification, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Google India. All four must submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks.
Kanoongo went further, demanding the song's removal from every platform. He also asked how the certification authority approved the song in the first place. "We have issued a notice to the Ministry of Information Broadcasting, the Censor Board, and the Ministry of IT that this should be removed and how the Censor Board can allow this release. If there are any guilty officials of the Censor Board who are involved in all this, then action should be taken against them too," he stated as per the report of Hindustan Times.
What the complaint said
The NHRC letter described the song's content as harmful to children. It noted that "vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics" were reaching young audiences through television, social media, and public platforms. The complaint warned that such content normalises inappropriate expressions among minors and damages their mental well-being.
According to the report of Hindustan Times, the letter states, "The complainant alleged that a recently released song from the upcoming film KD: The Devil contains vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics that are inappropriate for public consumption, especially for children. It is stated that such content is widely accessible through television, social media, and public platforms, which may negatively impact the mental well-being and moral environment of minors.
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The complainant further alleged that the increasing trend of explicit lyrical content in mainstream entertainment contributes to the normalisation of inappropriate expressions among young audiences. Therefore, the complainant sought the intervention of the Commission in the matter and requested it to take cognisance, seek a report from the concerned certification authority, and issue necessary guidelines and advisories to regulate such content and safeguard children's rights."
Actions by other bodies
Women's commissions in both Haryana and Karnataka separately wrote to the CBFC raising objections. A police complaint was also registered against the film's producers. Music label Anand Audio eventually took the song down from YouTube and all social media platforms.
Hindi lyricist Raqib Alam chose to step away from the row. He clarified that his role was limited to translating the original Kannada lyrics into Hindi and that he had raised objections to the wording at the time.
