On May 22, 2018, the Akal Takht set up a "Sikh Censor Board," declaring that it was "mandatory" for filmmakers to obtain its approval before making a film about Sikhs and their religion.
The announcement of forming a parallel Sikh censor board was raised after the row over the release of the film,” Nanak Shah Fakir”, a movie on the life of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. The movie portrayed Guru Nanak and his family members in human form whereas Sikhism prohibits the pictorial or human depiction of their Gurus.
What is the Akal Takht?
AKAL TAKHT is located within the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar. The Akal Takht (originally called Akal Bunga) was built by Shri Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth Sikh Guru, as a place of justice, the seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa, and the seat of the Jathedar, the highest spokesperson. It is the highest authority site for the Sikh community in terms of spirituality and temporal concerns.
Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, has set up the "censor board" following a controversy over the " distortion of facts about Sikh Gurus and Sikh history in movies". Giani Gurbachan Singh, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht in Amritsar, said every filmmaker making a movie about the Sikh religion and heritage must seek the board's approval. Any movie, documentary, or animation film will be approved by Akal Takht on the recommendation of this board.
According to the Jathedar, the Sikh censor board will ensure no distortion of facts in movies (documentaries, features, and animation) on Sikh gurus, their family members, and Sikh personalities in the past, Sikh religious affairs, or misinterpretation of the community. There will be 21 members on the board, including Sikh clergy and experts.
The 21-member board includes Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, members of the SGPC and the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, and academicians from Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana and Punjabi University Patiala.
In the last few years, other movies which have run into trouble with the Akal Takht and SGPC include an animated historical film on the sacrifices of the sons of the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh `Chaar Sahibzaade’ produced in 2014.
The movie `The Messenger of God’ was produced in 2015 by controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh chief of Dera Sacha Sauda. In 2008 Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Singh is King’, the same year another film ‘Son of Sardar’ in which Ajay Devgan played the main lead and not to forget ‘Jo Bole So Nihal’ which came in 2005 with Sunny Deol in the lead role. Deol’s other movie ‘Singh Saab the Great’ ran into trouble in 2013 with SGPC.
Thousands of Sikhs are appreciating this move as it will ensure that the Sikh Panth is never misrepresented. There will be an accurate portrayal of the history and teachings of the Gurus of the Sikh faith. As things stand, however, the Central Board of Film Certification is the only statutory body that can regulate the public exhibition of films. The decision of setting up the Sikh censor board has raised debate about the need for such a body in a robust democracy like ours.