The controversy surrounding the Bollywood song Sarke Chunar reached the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Anand Bhadouria raising concerns over its lyrics and seeking a response from the Centre.
Responding to the issue, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the song has been banned. He stated that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it is subject to “reasonable restrictions” in line with societal and cultural norms.
Featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, the track is part of the upcoming Kannada film KD: The Devil. Soon after its release online, it sparked widespread backlash, with critics objecting to what they described as sexually explicit lyrics and provocative visuals.
The Hindi version of the song, which was uploaded on YouTube earlier this week, has since been taken down amid mounting outrage. However, versions in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil continue to remain accessible.
Lyricist Raqeeb Alam has distanced himself from the controversy, stating that he did not write the contentious lines. “These lyrics were originally written in Kannada by the film’s director Prem. When I was asked to adapt them, I refused, as such content would not work and would face censorship,” he said.
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut alleged that Bollywood has crossed “all limits with vulgarity” and called for stricter regulation. Singer Armaan Malik also criticised the trend, saying commercial songwriting has hit a “new low.”
Meanwhile, advocate Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint seeking immediate action against the song, alleging that it contains “highly vulgar, sexually suggestive and obscene expressions” that disturb public decency.
