Scenes of Khan wearing kirpan altered: Producer
When the matter came up for hearing, Khalsa said that he did not have any further objections considering the affidavit and its content.
Mumbai: The makers of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Zero” on Wednesday told the Bombay high court that they had taken steps to alter a scene where the lead actor is purportedly seen wearing a kirpan (sword or small dagger carried by Sikhs)
An affidavit was filed by the film's producer, Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., before a division bench of Justices B.P. Dharmadhikari and S.V. Kotwal which is hearing a petition filed by advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa. Khalsa, in his petition, has sought direction to the film’s director and producer to delete scenes where Khan is seen wearing a kirpan.
The petition refers to the film’s poster where Khan is seen wearing a vest and shorts, with a garland of Rs 500 notes around his neck and a kirpan tied diagonally across his chest. Khalsa has taken exception to this scene and referred to the historical and cultural importance of the kirpan, saying it is worn after taking rehat maryada (conversion to Sikhism)
Serwai told the court that it is an ordinary sword however Khalsa said that from the manner in which Khan held it, it seemed like a kirpan. In the affidavit submitted to the court Wednesday, Red Chillies Entertain-ment said that it had taken steps to alter the scenes in question.
“With a view to ensure that no religious or cultural sentiments are hurt, despite the fact that the film and its poster depicted only an ornamental dagger and not a kirpan, steps have been taken by the production company to alter the relevant scenes in the movie. The portions in question have been altered through visual effects to depict an ornamental sword,” said the affidavit.
When the matter came up for hearing, Khalsa said that he did not have any further objections considering the affidavit and its content.
He added that there were some websites which continued to have the film’s old poster where Khan is seen wearing a kirpan. The bench said that since there was no urgency in the matter, it would hear it in January 2019. The movie is slated to release on December 21.