DSGMC for ban on'Singh Is King';Will not allow screening in Delh

New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) In yet another controversy plaguing the Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer 'Singh Is King' just a week before its release, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee today called for a ban on the film and called upon Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit not to allow its screening in the national capital.

Alleging that the film ''lampoons the religious identity of the community'', the DSGMC and Shiromani Akali Dal president S Paramjit Singh Sarna has written to the Delhi Chief Minister urging her not to allow its screening in the National Capital ''until the filmmakers make amendments in portrayal of the Sikh character in the film''.

Mr Sarna said the film shows a Sikh character in French cut beard, wearing turban, which is either clean shaven as French cut style reflects a clean shaven image of the character.

In the letter to Ms Dikshit, Mr Sarna alleged that despite the producer of 'Singh Is King' Vipul Shah having promised, in a conversation (on a TV channel) with Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee Chief Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar to make changes in the film so that the Sikh character in the film conformed to the Sikh identity, he had done nothing in practice.

''We have been watching with utter disgust that the filmmakers have cold shouldered concerns over an issue central to the Sikh faith. The SGPC should have done some sort of follow up and prevented even the airing of such insulting promos,'' Mr Sarna said adding that ''on our part, we will not allow screening of the film in the national capital until chnages are appropriately made''.

''The film is scheduled for release next Friday and the producers have ample time to take this issue with sincerity and in the meantime, take these objectionable promos off air,'' Mr Sarna said.

UNI AR PK RK1945