RTI activist lodges complaint against film Manmarziyaan

In his compliant, the activist, Gurvinder Singh Chadda, said Sikh tradition has been insulted in the movie. He said in the movie, Abhishek Bachchan is seen removing the turban, handing it to somebody and then smoking.

Updated on: Sep 20, 2018, 00:26:11 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Neeraj Santoshi, Dehradun

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An Uttarakhand based RTI activist has lodged a complaint in Nainital’s Udham Haldwani against the recently released movie ‘Manmarziyaan’ for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community.

In his compliant, the activist, Gurvinder Singh Chadda, said Sikh tradition has been insulted in the movie. He said in the movie, Abhishek Bachchan is seen removing the turban, handing it to somebody and then smoking .

“Actress Taapsee Pannu, despite enacting the role of a Sikh woman, is also seen smoking in the movie. This has hurt the Sikh sentiments,” he said.

Chadda demanded the screening of the movie be stopped and a case be registered against actors Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and the director Anurag Kashyap. “If the police don’t take action within few days, I will approach the high court,” Chadda said

Nainital SSP Janmejay Khanduri said India is a country that practises freedom of expression and also the movie was vetted by the censor board. “As such, we cannot do much about it,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More