Controversial film “Nanak Shah Fakir”, based on the life and teachings
of Guru Nanak Dev, will continue to be screened in cinema halls as the
Supreme Court made it clear that it would not stop its public
viewing.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra,
however, issued notice to the filmmaker and the Central Board of Film
Certification (CBFC) on a petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and posted it for further hearing on May 8.
The film has already been released across India, except in Punjab, senior advocate RS Suri told.
Appearing for the SGPC, senior counsel PS Patwalia stated that no person could be
allowed to portray the life of the 10 Sikh Gurus, their family members
and the “Panj Pyaras”. Sikhism bans human beings from portraying its
Gurus, he added.
“Let the actor playing the Guru not take credit. Let it be an abstract
person,” said the Bench, which had on April 10 cleared the decks for the
April 13 nationwide release of the film and criticised the SGPC for
opposing it.