Book 'Zero' producer-director, demands Mumbai Congress leader

Mumbai, Nov 6 (IANS) A senior Congress leader on Tuesday demanded police action against the director-producers of the upcoming Bollywood film 'Zero' for certain objectionable scenes which have "hurt sentiments of the Sikh community."

Former legislator and Mumbai unit Vice-President Charan Singh Sapra said he has written to the police to summon the director and producers Red Chillies Entertaiment and Colour Yellow Productions under Indian Penal Code Sec. 295(A).

"I have urged Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VII) to take cognizance of the objectionable posters and promos of the film 'Zero' due to release next month," said Sapra.

This is because the lead actor Shah Rukh Khan is depicted as a mentally retarded character in undergarments wearing the Sikh religious symbol 'gatra kirpan' (mini-dagger).

"In Sikhism, the 'gatra kirpan' has its own sanctity and cannot be worn by anybody except an 'amritdhari' (baptized) Sikh. This has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs all over and I have received many complaints in this regard," said Sapra, who is also President of Punjabi Cultural Heritage Board here.

Sapra has asked the police to lodge the complaints against the film producers and director Aanand L. Rai, withdraw the posters and promos immediately failing which Sikh community members would stage protests.

On Monday, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee general secretary M.S. Sirsa demanded similar police action against the 'Zero' team and threatened agitation and even stop the film's screenings in the capital.

'Zero' is a love-triangle between a dwarf (Khan), an alcoholic Bollywood actress (Katrina Kaif) and a NASA scientist suffering from cerebral palsy (Anushka Sharma).