Following demands from several quarters against the film Nanak Shah Fakir, the Punjab Government on Wednesday decided to suspend the screening of the controversial Punjabi film for two months. The State Government cited threat to law and order as reason for the move.
There had been protests and demonstrations against the movie as it was perceived to go against the religious tenets and maryada of the Sikh community. The suspension comes into force with immediate effect and will apply to all forms of public and private exhibition, distribution and viewing of the film in the state. The film would be deemed to be “uncertified” in the state during the period of suspension.
The decision comes in the wake of widespread reports of unrest and resentment against the film, leading to public protests and demonstrations against it by the Sikh masses. These reports were corroborated by intelligence inputs from the state agencies, which also apprehended a threat to the hard earned atmosphere of peace and social harmony in the State in the event of the film being released, said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office.
“In the light of these reports and inputs, the government has decided to suspend all screening, distribution and viewing of the film for two months in the larger public interest to safeguard the age-old emotional bonds and preserve complete peace and social harmony among people professing different faiths in the state,” said the spokesperson.
Giving details of the decision, the spokesperson said that for this purpose, the government exercised the powers conferred upon it by sub-section (1) of Section 6 of the Punjab Cinemas Act, 1952. The movie, Nanak Shah Fakir, was to be released on April 17. The movie has been in news for all the wrong reasons. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and other Sikh religious groups had objected the depiction Guru Nanak Dev in human form.
The film, produced by Harinder Sikka, has been in the eye of a storm since its first screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year then at Sikh lens, Arts and Film Festival at California in November. The film deals with the life and times of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev.