Fatwa issued in UP against Nora Fatehi over Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke song for being ‘against Islamic teachings’

A fatwa has been issued against actor-performer Nora Fatehi over the controversial song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, which also features Sanjay Dutt.

A fatwa has been issued against Nora Fatehi in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, over the controversial song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from the Kannada film KD: The Devil. The song featuring her and Sanjay Dutt recently ran into controversy over the objectionable lyrics, which the Union government had also objected to.

Sanjay Dutt and Nora Fatehi in a still from Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from KD.

Fatwa on Nora Fatehi in UP

The religious body, the Muslim Personal Darul Ifta in Aligarh, issued a fatwa against Nora after the song received online backlash over its lyrics. The religious body told ANI that the song, Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, contains content that they consider ‘objectionable and against Islamic teachings’.

The fatwa was issued by Chief Mufti Maulana Ebrahim Hussain, who found issue with ‘explicit and vulgar’ visuals of the song. He told India Today in a statement that he found such content haram and a gunah-e-kabira (grave sin), adding that participation in or promotion of such material goes against religious principles.

A fatwa is a non-binding legal opinion in Islam issued by a qualified religious law specialist, known as a mufti, on a specific issue. It is not legally enforceable by the state.

Union government bans song

On Wednesday, the Union government also confirmed that the song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke from KD has been banned following criticism of its lyrics and visuals. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision in the Lok Sabha while responding to a question raised by Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadouria.

Ever since the song was released, it has received backlash, with some organisations demanding action against the people involved in the track. Complaints were filed demanding an FIR and the removal of the track from circulation, intensifying public debate just days before the matter was raised in Parliament.

It was composed by Arjun Janya, and the film's director, Prem, had penned the original Kannada lyrics, which were translated into Hindi by Raqueeb Alam. Mangli had provided the vocals.

Nora Fatehi on backlash to the song

In a detailed Instagram video posted earlier this week, Nora claimed she had no role in the Hindi version of the song. “When I shot this song three years ago, I said yes to it because it was a part of a big film, it was with a big icon, Sanjay Dutt, who would say no to working with him? He's such an icon. And it was a remake, at least that's what I thought, of Nayak Nahi Khalnayak Hoon Main, which is also a very iconic song,” she explained.

She further claimed that when the makers explained the song's translation to her at the time, nothing seemed ‘inappropriate’ or ‘vulgar.’ However, she clarified that she does not understand Kannada and had relied entirely on what the team told her. She did admit that when she heard the song’s lyrics in Hindi during the launch, she knew that it would cause trouble.

KD stars Dhruva Sarja, Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Ramesh Aravind, Reeshma Nanaiah, and V Ravichandran. It will hit screens on April 30.