Bombay High Court has set November 30 as the date for hearing the petition filed against Shah Rukh Khan and the makers of 'Zero' for allegedly hurting sentiments of the Sikh community. The petitioner, Amritpal Singh Khalsa, sought removal of scenes where SRK has been shown wearing a 'Kirpan' (Article of Sikh faith), stating that the "display of the Kirpan in such a way is blasphemous.
"The movie Zero which is coming, the lead actor Shah Rukh Khan is seen wearing a Kirpan along the Gatra that we wear (the belt). So that is a clear-cut mockery of our religion, our article of faith, that is hurting my religious sentiments. I think only Sikhs are given the exclusive privilege of wearing and carrying Kirpans under Article 25. So he is clearly violating the Article 25," Khalsa had said in a recent interaction.
"Kirpan in the Sikh religion is our fundamental right and the way Shah Rukh Khan has worn the Kirpan, he has made fun of it. A lot of Sikhs have sacrificed their lives for Kirpan during the British time so he can't make fun of it. There is no ban on wearing Kirpan, he can wear Kirpan but he has to follow the Sikh Rehat Maryada code of conduct that is what my prayer is," he added.
This is not the first time such an objection has come to the fore against the flick. Earlier this month, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa had filed a complaint against the actor for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community.
In the complaint, Sirsa claimed that in the promo of the movie, actor Shah Rukh Khan has been shown wearing a 'Gatra Kirpan' (Article of Sikh Faith) which has created an outrage among Sikhs worldwide. In response to the allegations, the film's team had issued a statement, saying, "The image shows a dagger popularly known as 'Katar' in the Indian subcontinent and is nowhere close to a 'Kirpan' that carries the distinguished blessing of being Khalsa."
They also clarified that the makers have been careful not to hurt the feelings of any community, including the Sikh community. 'Zero' stars Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles. It is helmed by Anand L. Rai. The film will release on December 21.
