Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced that the controversial Bollywood track Sarke Chunar has been banned, stressing that freedom of speech must function within “reasonable restrictions” that align with societal and cultural values.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said that freedom of expression cannot be absolute. “A ban has been imposed on the song. We must operate within reasonable restrictions under freedom of speech. It cannot be absolute and must be seen in the context of society and culture,” he stated.
The issue was raised by Anand Bhadouria, who sought clarification from the government over the controversy surrounding the track.
The song features Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt and is part of the upcoming Kannada film KD: The Devil. It sparked widespread backlash after its online release, with critics objecting to its allegedly explicit lyrics and provocative visuals.
While the Hindi version was uploaded on YouTube earlier this week, it was later taken down amid growing outrage. However, versions in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil are still available on the platform. The film is scheduled for release on April 30 and will be dubbed in multiple languages.
The original Kannada lyrics were written by the film’s director Prem. Lyricist Raqeeb Alam, who worked on the Hindi version, distanced himself from the controversy, stating that he only translated the original lines. He claimed he had initially refused to write such lyrics, warning they could face censorship.
The track has drawn criticism from several public figures. BJP MP Ravi Kishan said content that harms cultural values should not be promoted, while actor-politician Kangana Ranaut accused Bollywood of crossing “all limits with vulgarity” and called for stricter regulation. Singer Armaan Malik also slammed the lyrics, saying commercial songwriting had hit a “new low.”
The matter has also reached the legal arena, with advocate Vineet Jindal filing a complaint seeking urgent action against the song. He alleged that it contains “highly vulgar” and “sexually suggestive” content that disturbs public decency.
Amid the backlash, Alam revealed that the film’s team has now asked him to create a revised version with cleaner lyrics, which may be released along with an apology.
