Exclusive | KD The Devil director Prem denies Nora Fatehi's Sarke Chunar was created for controversy: Why would I want..
The song Sarke Chunar from KD The Devil faces backlash over its lyrics. Director Prem now denies any intent for deliberately creating controversy for buzz.
The song Sarke Chunar from KD The Devil has sparked controversy, from backlash over its lyrics to a reported fatwa against actor Nora Fatehi, who features in the track. Amid allegations that the outrage was orchestrated for publicity, director Prem has denied any such intent.

“I don’t want any controversy. Mine is an emotional film, and the song is meant to be something people dance to at parties. It’s been well received in Karnataka and Kerala. Why would I want controversy?” he says.
Prem explains that while he wrote the original Kannada lyrics, the Hindi version was translated by lyricist Raqueeb Alam. He admits he was unaware of the specific wording that later drew criticism. “Everything went smoothly with the Kannada original. I didn’t understand the Hindi words used in translation as I am not fluent in the language. I come from a village where phrases like ‘neeche mat gira, uthao’ are part of everyday speech, it’s Janapada,” he adds.
The filmmaker says the contentious lines have now been revised and the updated version will be sent to the Censor Board. Expressing regret, he says, “If anyone is hurt, I am very sorry. Our big film faced a small lyrics issue, but it has been blown out of proportion. There are so many larger problems in the world, war hai, LPG gas ki problem hai toh kyun ek gaane pe itni badi controversy kar di?”
ABOUT THE AUTHORRishabh SuriRishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More

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