SC refuses to stay release of Nanak Shah Fakir

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to ban Hindi film Nanak Shah Fakir as it only attempts to glorify the life of Guru Nanak Dev and does not in any manner denigrate his teachings.

A three- judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A. M. Kanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud rejected the submissions made on behalf of the Siromani Gurudwara Prabandak Committee that portraying of any of the 10 “gurus”, their family members and “Panj Pyare” on the silver screen is prohibited.

While refusing to bury the argument advanced by senior counsel P. S. Patwalia that the film cannot be allowed to be screened as it violates the Constitutional protection granted to Sikhs under Article 26 of the Constitution.

The SGPC had filed application for banning the film on the grounds that the court had not considered certain aspects when it passed an order on April 10 allowing the release of the film.

The court also pointed out that once the film is cleared by the censor board, the producer or distributor of the film has every right to get it exhibited in a movie hall. If such activities are encouraged, the same has the potentiality to bring in anarchy and cripple the right of freedom of speech and expression. The CJI told the counsel that the fundamental issue was whether the film portrayed Guru Nanak in a bad manner.