Not a kirpan but an Arabian dagger: Varun Dhawan to Sikh activists

The actor said, \"My brother and I are Punjabi's so we wouldn't do anything like that.\"

Mumbai

: It was just yesterday that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) raised objection over the 'inappropriate use' of kirpan in a song from Rohit Dhawan's 'Dishoom'. The body requested Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to remove the song from the film and also demanded an apology from the makers.

Varun Dhawan addressed the issue at the launch of 'Sau Tarah Ke' and said, \"That isn't a Kirpan. We have shot this song in Morocco. It is an Arabian dagger. My brother and I are Punjabi's so we wouldn't do anything like that. If someone has to... it is misunderstanding\"

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, The Gurdwara Management Committee's general secretary wrote an open letter to Pahlaj Nihalani. Here's what it read-

Objecting strongly to the 'Beadbi' of Kirpan, a pious symbol of Sikhism we asked Sh. Pehlaj Nihlani, the chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification, to instruct the removal of the video of a song titled \"ishq ka marz\" from the upcoming movie \"Dishoom\". The song depicts a semi-clad actress, Ms. Jacqueline Fernandez, dancing with a Kirpan, one of the five compulsory Kakaars worn by a practising Sikh; dangling in front of her legs and supported by a cloth belt worn around the waist by the actress and thereby made the mockery of the sacredness and respect of the religious symbols of Kirpan.

This act is hurting sentiments of Sikhs as we are already numerous complaints in this matter from various Sikh bodies. I request CBFC to instruct director Rohit Dhawan to immediately remove all the trailers/videos of the aforesaid song uploaded at youtube.com or other websites; either delete the song from the movie or re-shoot its video sans the wearing of Kirpan supported by the actress and to instruct the director and cast of the movie to make public apology to the Sikh community for the deliberate insult done to a respectable Sikh religious symbol. If CBFC fails to take appropriate action in this context, DSGMC will be compelled to initiate criminal proceedings against the director and case of the 'Dishoom' as well as against the CBFC.