The recently released Bollywood film Jaat, starring
Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, has become the center of a heated controversy
over a scene that allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian
community. The film, which hit theatres on April 10, came under fire for
depicting a crucifixion-like scene and showing acts of violence inside a
church.
Scene Sparks Outrage
The scene in question features Randeep Hooda’s character
standing inside a church beneath a crucifix above the sacred pulpit,
accompanied by imagery that resembled the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Another
segment portrays members of a congregation praying inside the church amid
references to violence. These depictions led to widespread criticism from
Christian groups, who deemed the visuals offensive and demanded immediate
action.
A case was filed at Jalandhar’s Sadar police station under
Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for “deliberate and malicious acts,
intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion
or religious beliefs.”
Protests were planned by community members across several
cities, and an ultimatum of 48 hours was given to the filmmakers for the
removal of the controversial content. Police intervened and prevented
demonstrations at cinema halls.
Makers Respond Quickly
Following the backlash, the makers of Jaat released
an official statement on Friday announcing the removal of the controversial
scene from all versions of the film.
Official Statement
“There has been a backlash for a specific scene in the film. The scene has been
removed from the film with immediate effect. Our intention was not to hurt any
religious sentiments. We deeply regret it and have taken a quick action of
deleting the scene from the film. We sincerely apologize to everyone whose
beliefs have been hurt.”
This swift action was taken to avoid further unrest and to
ensure that the film’s release could continue without disrupting social
harmony.
Cast and Crew Booked
Despite the removal of the scene, a formal complaint had
already been registered against lead actors Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, as
well as the director and producer. Sunny Deol, notably a former Member of
Parliament from Gurdaspur, has not issued a personal statement at the time of
this report.
It remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold,
but the filmmakers’ proactive step is likely to ease tensions among the
aggrieved parties.
About the Film
Jaat is an action drama revolving around themes of
justice, redemption, and socio-political conflicts. With strong performances by
Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, the film was gaining momentum at the box office
before the controversy emerged. Whether the backlash will impact its commercial
success remains to be seen in the coming days.