Tollywood director Gopichand Malineni made her Bollywood debut with the film JatSunny Deol in the lead role, which hit theaters on 10 April. The film has criticized a church scene that some viewers found aggressive. The controversy has sought legal action and a public apology from the film’s makers. Amidst issues, Malineni opened about the church scene that featured Randeep Hooda.
An FIR has been registered against actors Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda, Vineet Kumar, Director Gopichand Malinani, allegedly damaging religious sentiments, and manufacturer Naveen. The complaint filed by Vikalav Gold accused the team of portraying scenes that were derogatory to Jesus Christ and Christian traditions. The release time of the film, which matched with the holy week, also raised concerns.
The scene of the question includes the character of Randeep Hooda, who faces individuals in a church setting, in the background has a cross. Addressing the uproar, director Gopichand spoke to Mid-Day, clarifying that measures were taken before the film’s release. He said, “The censor board did not mention anything for the trailer cut, but later, it asked us to blur the background in the film print. It was done before objecting to the people. If a film is a blockbuster, it will have to be seen by more and more. No filmmaker wants to hurt any people or community. We want to entertain them.”
The Jat makers released an official statement on Friday amid legal troubles, which confirmed that the controversial scene was removed from all versions of the film. “The film has a backlash for a specific scene. The scene has been removed from the film with immediate effect.
An FIR was lodged at Jalandhar Cantonment Police Station under Section 299 of IPC. Sho Sanjeev Kumar confirmed the names involved in the case. According to Sacnilk, Sunny Deol starrer has earned around Rs 65.65 crore at the box office.
