Besharam rang row: Mukesh Khanna slams Deepika Padukone's 'provocative dressing', calls it 'vulgar'

New Delhi, Dec 17: Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has joined the chorus against 'Pathan', the Hindi movie starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, set to be released next month. The TV superstar of yesteryears has specially taken objection to the way the song 'Besharam rang...', which literally means "shameless colour", has been picturised in the film, and has described it as 'vulgar'.

While questioning the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), better known as 'censor board', the 'Shaktimaan' star asked "how could they pass the song despite such vulgarity in the visuals of the song. Calling the scenes in the song 'vulgar', the 'Mahabharat' actor lamented that at this pace, the makers of the film will bring the actors without clothes on the big screen next time.

The song was released earlier this week and has courted controversies ever since. While a section of the viewers liked the 'sensuous' track, a huge segment of people vehemently opposed Padukone's saffron bikini look as the colour is considered as sacred by the Hindus.

Mukesh Khanna told ABP News, "I think our film industry has gone haywire. This is a matter of vulgarity, it has nothing to do with any kind of religious problem. The censor board is no Supreme Court. They tell me very prominent people (are there on the board)... but can't they see all these attacks on the Hindu religion?"

"Ok, the issue at hand is that of vulgarity. Our country is no Spain or Sweden or such a country that allows everything. You dared to bring people in such limited clothing, next you will bring them without the clothes! The job of the censor board is to ensure that films do not hurt anyone's personal feelings and beliefs," Khanna added.

"The board must not pass such films that instigate or lead the youth astray. This song can mess up with the minds of the youth, not mislead them. This is not a song made for the OTT, but a film. How could the censor board pass it? Did they not see the deliberate provocative dressing?" he sought to know.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed before a court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, seeking an FIR against the actor duo Khan and Padukone for "hurting religious sentiments of Hindus" in the song. Sudhir Ojha, a Muzaffarpur-based lawyer, has filed the case on Friday before the CJM court there, which will hear the matter on January 3. "The song 'Besharam rang' of the film 'Pathaan' is objectionable and it hurts the sentiments of the Hindu community," Ojha later told the media.

Earlier, Narottam Mishra, the Home Minister in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, had frowned upon the saffron colour of the attire of Padukone during the song sequence 'Besharam rang', calling for its 'rectification'. Mishra had objected to it saying it hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus. He even warned that if the objectionable parts in the movie are not 'fixed', his government would take a call on whether or not to allow its release in the State.

The Madhya Pradesh Ulema Board has also raised objections to the release of the movie in the State. Ulema Board president Syed Anas Ali too said that the sentiments of "the Muslim community have been hurt" by the film, adding that they will not "allow this film to be released".

'Pathaan' is scheduled to be released on January 25, 2023. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie also stars John Abraham, Ashutosh Rana and Dimple Kapadia.