Punjab Government on Sunday banned the controversial Punjabi movie ‘Shooter’, based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan, besides registering a case against its producer KV Singh Dhillon and others for allegedly promoting violence, heinous crimes, gangsterism, drugs extortion, threats and criminal intimidation.

Cases have been registered under sections 153 (deliberately provoking with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity), 153B (imputation, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 160 (punishment for committing affray), 107 (conspiracy), 505 (public mischief) of the Indian oenal Code (IPC), at State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Mohali as per FIR dated February 9, 2020, said a police spokesperson.The FIR said that the movie ‘Shooter’ is likely to instigate youngsters to take up arms, and disturb peace and harmony.

The movie, glorifying slain gangster was to hit the screens on February 21. Notably, gangster Sukha Kahlwan was facing more than 20 cases, including those pertaining to murder, kidnapping and extortion, before he was gunned down by another gangster Vicky Gounder and his aides on January 22, 2015, while he was being brought back to Patiala jail after a court hearing in Jalandhar. Sukha used to describe himself as “sharpshooter”.

The FIR was registered after the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to look into the possible action that could be initiated against KV Singh Dhillon, who had reportedly promised in writing, back in 2019, that he would shelve the movie, originally titled ‘Sukha Khalwan’.

The DGP had also been asked to look into the role of the promoters, directors and actors of the movie. It has been learnt that the film was originally named as ‘Sukha Kahlwan’ on the name of the gangster. But, after the Mohali police received a complaint in October 2019 about the movie glorifying the notorious gangster, film producer KV Dhillon gave it in writing to the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) that he would shelve his plan to go ahead with the movie.

In his letter, Dhillon had written that “since you are of the opinion that the content of the film may hurt law and order situation, I am discontinuing the film project.”Now, the film is scheduled to release under the title ‘Shooter’. The protagonist in the film has been named ‘Sucha’.

The decision to ban the movie comes less than 10 days after the Mansa Police registered a case against Punjabi singers Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu (Sidhu Moose Wala) and Mankirat Aulakh for propagating violence and crime through a video clip uploaded on social media.

This is not for the first time that a film on a gangster is being made in Punjab. Two films glorifying the character of slain gangster Rupinder Gandhi were released in the past five years.

MOVIES, SONGS PROMOTING CRIME, VIOLENCE, DRUGS, GANGSTERISM NOT ALLOWED: CM

Taking a tough stand, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also made it clear that the Punjab Government will not allow any movies, songs, etc that seek to promote crime, violence, drugs and gangsterism or crime in the State, which had flourished during the Akali regime, under the patronage of SAD leaders.

Any such productions or compositions would be dealt with severely in the future too, warned the Chief Minister.

The Congress Government has come a long way in the past three years to restore the state’s law and order, which had hit a new low under the previous SAD-BJP regime, said the spokesperson, adding that the Chief Minister had directed the police to ensure that nothing is allowed to disturb Punjab’s peace and communal harmony.

BAN ANNOUNCED AFTER DETAILED DISCUSSION

The state police chief on Sunday maintained that matter of banning this controversial movie in Punjab had been discussed at a meeting with the Chief Minister on Friday, along with a proposal from ADGP Intelligence Varinder Kumar, recommending a ban on the movie, whose trailer, released on January 18, suggested that the film was highly radical.

In view of the expected repercussions of the movie on the youth and apprehensions of disturbance of public order, “it would be appropriate if the release and screening of the movie be banned in the state of Punjab”, the ADGP had further stated, in a letter to the state’s Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Home Affairs and Justice.

The Producer had earlier given his commitment after the Mohali police received a complaint about the movie glorifying gangster Kahlwan. But instead of abandoning the project, the producer evidently went ahead with the film, which was now scheduled for release on February 21 under the new title with a new name for its leading protagonist, said the DGP.

TRAILER GETS 71L VIEWS ON YOUTUBE, SONG CROSSED 20M

The movie’s trailer has already received about 72 lakh views on the YouTube channel, while its song “Shoot da Order” has also crossed record 20 million views.

Sukha’s character was played by debutant actor Jayy Randhawa, and the movie’s poster shows Jayy in the same attire as that of the slain gangster.