Good precedent set when it comes to depicting Sikhs in movies in India

SGPC FALTERS - COMMUNITY TRIUMPHANT

The whole community was feeling to be at the receiving end because of the series of films one after the other ridiculing the Sikh image. However, the process this time has been reversed, not because of the SGPC or community leaders’ effort but because the local Mumbai Sikhs took upon themselves to meet head on the producer of the film ‘Singh is King’ and result is thumping success.

Be it Bole so Nihal, Sadiyyan, Haste Haste or any other film, it seemed that the thumb rule is to scornfully distort, ridicule and mock the headgear and beard of the Sikh. The same happened with the case of Singh is King a film by Vipul Shah starring Akshay Kumar. The whole community was restive because of the callous attitude of the community leaders and the studded silence of the SGPC. This despite SGPC had resources and had also constituted a prosecution committee to prosecute any anti-Sikh writing or material.

It goes to the credit of the Mumbai Sikhs that they rallied and had intense negotiations with Vipul Shah the producer of the film. Vipul Shah in turn gave an affidavit duly sworn saying that, “There is a mistake in the script of the feature film ‘SINGH IS KING’ where Akshay Kumar is shown with a trimmed beard in a couple of sequences. I want to change the thing by shooting a sequence in between where Akshay Kumar realizes his mistake of having trimmed beard and in the end he grows a fully grown and untrimmed beard.”

A distorted "Sikh image" that outraged the Sikhs

Vipul Shah also assured through the affidavit that he will release the film only after getting its approval from the community and the posters of Akshay Kumar with only fully grown beard will be marketed. The posters of the actor with untrimmed beard will not be marketed.

However this is really a great achievement of the Mumbai Sikhs which included Gurbachan Singh Bachan, former Secretary of SGPC and now in Mumbai, Kulwant Singh, Davinder Singh, Parbinder Singh, Jaspal Singh and others.

Speaking to IHRO Vipul Shah, the producer of the film said he had no intention of maligning Sikhs. He said he has great respect for the community. He further expressed his surprise that he has three Sikhs in his team but they also never ever advised him anything against the script or sequences. IHRO feels satisfied that the community power has triumphed in the end. IHRO further feels this will give a clear signal to the Bollywood to behave in more responsible manner while dealing or depicting Sikhs.

Affidavit submitted to the Mumbai court by Vipul Shah,the producer