The National Commission for Women (NCW) has scheduled a hearing in connection with the controversy around the song Sarke Chunar. Actor and dancer Nora Fatehi has arrived at the NCW office where she is to appear before the Commission on May 7. The hearing will take place as scheduled and on time in NCW, Jasola.
The matter first came under scrutiny in March, when the NCW issued summons to Nora Fatehi, actor Sanjay Dutt, lyricist Raqueeb Alam, producer Venkat K. Narayana and director Kiran Kumar after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports linked to the song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke.
In its statement at the time, the Commission said the song appeared to contain “sexually suggestive and objectionable” content. It further stated that the visuals and lyrics raised concerns under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the IT Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as per ANI.
The NCW said it had taken the matter seriously after reports and complaints alleged obscenity and vulgarity in the track. The Commission noted that the content, prima facie, appeared objectionable and required closer examination.
The controversy around the song grew rapidly after its release. Featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, the track drew criticism from several quarters, with some groups and individuals claiming that the lyrics and visuals objectified women. Demands for legal action and removal of the song from circulation soon followed, turning it into a wider public debate.
The issue later reached Parliament as well. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the song had been banned following the backlash and complaints surrounding it. The matter was raised during a discussion after a question from Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadouria.
Previously, Nora Fatehi, who features in Sarke Chunar with Sanjay Dutt, reacted to the controversy via a video on Instagram. In the clip, she revealed that the song was actually shot three years ago. She claimed that the makers translated the Kannada lyrics into Hindi on their own and used them without taking her approval. Nora said she agreed to be part of the project because of the people attached to it, including what she described as “icon” Sanjay Dutt.
She also alleged that a photo featuring her and Sanjay Dutt was created using AI, something she said she strongly opposes. Opening up about the situation further, the Dilbar Dilbar actor said that unlike star kids, independent artistes like her do not have strong backing in the industry and often have to deal with such situations alone. Nora shared that after watching both the Kannada and Hindi versions of the song, she had warned the film’s director that the Hindi lyrics could spark backlash. However, according to her, those concerns were ignored. She added that this was also why she chose not to promote the song from the beginning.
The actor then thanked the audience for speaking up against the track, saying the public outrage eventually pushed the makers to remove it from social media platforms. In the caption, she wrote, “I would hate for anyone to think I endorse this.. thank you for the backlash because of this pressure the filmmakers have luckily taken it down Id also request everyone to stop sharing the song because ur just giving it a platform unnecessarily. On a side note I see some of u guys trying to use this as an opportunity to attack my character..it’s unfortunate Anyways me and my team will be more careful in the future in such situations. However I do want to reiterate I had no idea about this Hindi song, I did not perform to it and there was no permission taken to use it with my image (sic).”
The Sarke Chunar song was from Dhruva Sarja’s KD: The Devil. The film is currently in theatres.
