‘Jaat’ Movie Sparks Outrage: Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda Face FIR for Hurting Religious Sentiments

‘Jaat’ Movie Sparks Outrage: Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda Face FIR for Hurting Religious Sentiments

RMN News Story Highlights:

Here are four very brief highlights from the story:

• An FIR has been filed against Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, among others, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in their film ‘Jaat‘.

• The controversy stems from a scene showing Randeep Hooda’s character in a disrespectful manner inside a church.

• Christian groups are demanding a ban on ‘Jaat’ and have warned of protests over the alleged disrespect.

• Released on April 10th, ‘Jaat‘ reportedly earned well at the box office, and a sequel has been announced.

Chandigarh: Bollywood actors Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, along with actor Vineet Kumar Singh, director Gopichand Malineni, and producers Naveen Malineni, have been named in a First Information Report (FIR) filed in Punjab’s Jalandhar for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Christian community in their recently released film ‘Jaat’.

The FIR was registered on April 16 by the Jalandhar police under Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint, lodged by a member of the Christian community, centres around a specific scene in ‘Jaat‘, which was released on April 10th.

According to the complainant, one of the scenes in the film has “deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the entire Christian community“. The allegations specifically point to a scene where Randeep Hooda’s character is reportedly shown standing under a crucifix inside a church, directly above the holy pulpit, while people are praying. The complaint further alleges that the scene includes “disrespect shown towards Jesus Christ” and portrays “scenes of intimidation and unruly behaviour“.

Viklav Goldy, a community leader, stated that a complaint was submitted to the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police detailing a scene where “Randeep Hooda is shown standing in a church in a manner resembling Jesus Christ, and Amen is allegedly disrespected“. Goldy also voiced concerns about a dialogue in the film which he believes “may incite those who oppose Christianity to target churches“. He questioned the timing of the movie’s release around Good Friday, suggesting a deliberate intention to provoke anger among Christians and potentially incite unrest across the country.

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The complainant went on to allege that “the director, writer and producer deliberately released this film during the holy month of Good Friday and Easter so that the Christians get angry and riots break out in the entire country and unrest is spread“, demanding a ban on the movie.

The controversial scene reportedly depicts Hooda’s character “claiming to be sent by Jesus Christ, before opening fire” inside the church during a prayer session. A community leader condemned this portrayal, stating, “Our religion does not teach us to harm others“.

Following the registration of the FIR after initial deliberations by the police, Sanjeev Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO), told The Indian Express that they have registered the case against those named in the complaint and “are conducting further investigation“, assuring that “action will be taken as per the investigation“.

Christian groups have reacted strongly to the film’s content, demanding a complete ban on ‘Jaat‘ and warning of “large-scale protests if action is not taken“. The controversy has caused “outrage among Christians both in India and abroad“.

‘Jaat‘ is Sunny Deol’s latest action film, with Randeep Hooda playing the main antagonist. The supporting cast includes Vineet Kumar Singh, Saiyami Kher, Regina Cassandra, Prashant Bajaj, Zarina Wahab, and Jagapathi Babu. The film marked the Hindi directorial debut of Gopichand Malineni, who is known for Telugu films such as “Don Seenu”, “Bodyguard”, and “Veera Simha Reddy”.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and People Media Factory, ‘Jaat‘ was released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages. The movie reportedly earned over Rs 32 crore at the box office in its first weekend. Despite the controversy surrounding the first part, Sunny Deol confirmed on April 17 his return for ‘Jaat 2‘”.

This incident adds to the ongoing discussions around freedom of expression in cinema and the potential for films to offend religious sentiments. The investigation into the FIR will likely determine the future course of action for the filmmakers and the release of ‘Jaat‘. The incident also highlights the sensitivity surrounding religious representations in media and the potential for such portrayals to spark significant backlash from communities.