CHANDIGARH: The upcoming OTT documentary series 'Lawrence of Punjab', which traces the evolution of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s criminal activities through the lens of culture, systems and visibility, has stirred up a political controversy in Punjab.
All the political parties across party lines demanded the series to be banned in the 'public interest'.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took strong exception to the television series. He said it would promote and glorify the gangster culture, amounting to an insult to Punjab.
"Punjabi and Punjabiyat that the holy land of Gurus, Rishis and Pirs will now be identified with a dreaded gangster," he said.
He pointed out that Bishnoi and his gang of criminals have been responsible for killing famous singer Sidhu Moosewala and hundreds of other innocent people.
Warring said the proposed TV series will mislead the youngsters, as it will glorify someone who deserves to be condemned. Demanding a complete ban on the screening of the TV series, he questioned the idea of the makers of the series to promote the culture of crime and violence.
“This is not a work of art and entertainment, but a criminal act to instigate and abet youngsters towards the world of crime”, he warned.
Warring also questioned the silence of the state and the central government over such a blatant insult to Punjab.
He said, "Lawrence Bishnoi has nothing to do with Punjab as he basically belonged to Rajasthan and is now in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat."
Warring further said that he will also be filing a Public Interest Litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the screening of the television series, as it has the potential of leading to ill and dangerous influence on youngsters.
Pritpal Singh Baliawal, spokesman of the Punjab BJP, also demanded that the documentary be banned and not be released on OTT platforms as it would glorify gangsters.
Hitting out at the Congress, he said, "If the party is so concerned that this documentary should not be released, then all the Congress MPs from the State should write to the CBFC demanding its ban, and mere lip service will not do.’’
Baliawal also requested the film-makers to be more sensitive and try not to make series or movies on anti-social elements.
Meanwhile, a senior leader of the ruling AAP said that these types of documentaries, promoting violence, should be banned and not be produced, as the youngsters would consider these kinds of people as their idols instead of freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh.
Interestingly, AAP has not taken an official call on the issue.
Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke village of Mansa district on May 29, 2022.
Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, a close aide of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for Moose Wala’s murder in a Facebook post.
Beyond Punjab, Bishnoi has also made national headlines for repeatedly threatening Bollywood actor Salman Khan over the black buck poaching case, leading to increased security and state protection for the actor.
Baba Siddiquie, a Maharashtra minister and politician, was also shot dead by the Bhisnoi gang. Also, last year, the Canadian Government labelled the Bhisnoi gang as a terrorist entity over targeted killing, extortion and intimidation within the South Asian Diaspora.
The trailer of the upcoming original document series 'Lawrence of Punjab' was unveiled, which offers a bold and gripping glimpse into a story rooted in culture that explores how criminal identities are shaped.
It has been produced by Riverland Entertainment and directed by Raghav Darr; the series is set to premiere on April 27.
From student politics, music to ideology and media amplification, the series pieces together how aspiration, power, and perception intersect to shape a new-age digital syndicate.
With Lawrence Bishnoi as a key case study within this ecosystem, the narrative expands beyond the individual to examine the larger cultural and social context, focusing on consequences.