NEW DELHI: It’s not a laughing matter anymore. The intelligence unit of the Delhi police has warned of demonstrations and protests across the national capital if Bollywood comedy flick Santa Banta Pvt Ltd directed by Akashdeep Sabir and starring Boman Irani and Vir Das, hits the screens. The intelligence unit said, “In the poster of the film, two Sikhs have been shown in undergarments and with a pistol in hand.”
It has written a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma and all the top police officers stating that adequate deployment of forces across the cinemas and in the city is required to maintain law and order in the city. In the missive, the Deputy Commissioner of Police writes, “Santa Banta Pvt Ltd is an upcoming 2016 Bollywood film directed by Akashdeep Sabir. It is a comedy and a story about two Sikhs, friends, featuring Boman Irani and Vir Das. The director of the film has planned to release the movie on March 11, 2016 but due to the objections by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management Committee, he postponed its release.”
He further states that the Gurdwara management Committee had asked its director to change the title and the poster of the film where “two Sikhs have been shown in undergarments with a pistol” and cut some objectionable scenes from the film before its release.
The officer further noted, “A PIL is already pending in the Supreme Court regarding ban on jokes on Santa and Banta. If the director does not make necessary modifications as advised by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management Committee, they will protest in this regard outside the censor board office and the cinemas in whole Delhi will stop the release of this film.”