Filmmakers of ‘Jaat’ issue apology after FIR, remove controversial scenes

Under fire for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, the makers of the film Jaat — starring Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda — have issued a public apology and removed controversial scenes from the movie. This comes days after an FIR was registered against the actors and filmmakers by members of the Christian community in Jalandhar.

The film, released on April 10, drew criticism after a scene allegedly depicted actor Randeep Hooda in a portrayal resembling Jesus Christ inside a church, which Christian leaders say mocked religious symbols and the word ‘Amen’.

Vikas Goldy, a Christian Community leader, lodged a complaint with the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on April 15, accusing the film of insulting Christian beliefs.

Following growing backlash, Jalandhar police filed a case on Thursday night against Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda, Vineet Kumar, director Gopi Chand and producer Naveen Malineni at Sadar police station. The complaint prompted swift action from the filmmakers, who edited out the offending scenes and released an apology via a poster on social media.

In their statement, the filmmakers said they never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments and had removed the scene as soon as objections were raised. “We apologise to all those whose feelings were hurt,” the post read, adding that the team was troubled by the FIR and the possibility of the controversy escalating beyond Punjab.

Meanwhile, Christian community leaders have said they will view the revised version of the film before deciding their next steps.

Entertainment