On a day the Supreme Court cleared the decks for the release of film 'Nanak Shah Fakir' on April 13, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said no official intervention was needed in Punjab due to filmmaker's reported decision not to release it in the border state.
Amarinder Singh also denied media reports that the Punjab government had ordered a ban on the film's release.
"Any decision to ban the movie has become unnecessary in view of the filmmaker's decision against releasing it in Punjab," a government spokesperson quoted Amarinder Singh as saying in a statement here.
The Akal Takht on Monday announced a ban on the movie for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of a section of the Sikh community over the portrayal of the first Sikh Guru as a living human being.
"The filmmakers in their petition in the Supreme Court clearly said that looking at the sensitivity of the issue and public sentiments involved, they had decided not to release it film in Punjab for the time being," the spokesperson said.
"... the Chief Minister said no action was required on his government's part at present. The state government will review the situation and take appropriate decision if it becomes necessary in the future," he added.
The Chief Minister said his government would take all possible steps, as and when deemed necessary, to ensure no disruption in law and order. Any attempt to vitiate peace in Punjab would be dealt with an iron hand, he said.
Amarinder Singh said he had taken note of the Akal Takht decision on the film.
"The Akali Takht decided to ban the movie amid protests by several Sikh organisations, who objected to the portrayal of Guru Nanak ji, saying any on-screen depiction of a Sikh Guru, or his family members, was against the tenets of Sikh religion. Projecting (on-screen) the Guru and his family in human form is offensive to the principles of Sikhi (Sikhism)," Amarinder Singh said.
The Chief Minister said that he was of the opinion that while authors and filmmakers had the freedom of creative expression, such freedom could not be allowed to hurt religious sensitivities of any community.
He appealed to Sikh organisations not to resort to violence or cause any damage to life and property in Punjab to express resentment against the movie.
ENSURE SMOOTH RELEASE OF NANAK FILM: SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed states to ensure that there was no opposition to the release of "Nanak Shah Fakir", a film on the first Sikh guru which is set to release in India and abroad on April 13.
Directing state governments to ensure law and order, the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the freedom of expression of an artiste can't be curtailed by a group of private people.
Film producer Harinder Singh Sikka approached the top court against an Akal Takht order calling for a ban on the film.
Directing the states to maintain law and order, Chief Justice Misra said: "Once the CBFC grants the certificate, there can't be any kind of impediment for the exhibition of the film. It is well settled that once CBFC grants a certificate, it is final.
"Once the certificate is granted (by CBFC), unless it is nullified by a superior authority, the producer has every right to exhibit the film in movie halls. Any obstruction has the potential to bring anarchy and cripple the right of freedom of expression", said the court.
On Monday, with a section of the Sikhs opposing "Nanak Shah Fakir" for its portrayal of the Sikh Gurus as living human beings, the Akal Takht announced a ban on its release.
"We have imposed a ban on the controversial movie... The film cannot be released (on April 13)," Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh told the media in Amritsar. The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion.
He said the religious sentiments of the community had been hurt over the portrayal of the Sikh masters.
The movie was earlier to be released in 2015, but it was shelved following the controversy.
With a number of Bollywood and Punjabi movies running into trouble vis-a-vis Sikh organisations over the portrayal of community members and the Sikh Gurus, the Akal Takht also decided to constitute a Sikh Censor Board on the matter.
In future, the Jathedar said, filmmakers will be required to seek the approval of the said board before starting a movie project in which Sikh religion or Sikhs were to be portrayed or highlighted in any manner.
