The song Sarke Chunar from KD The Devil has sparked controversy, from backlash over its lyrics to a reported fatwa against actor Nora Fatehi, who features in the track. Amid allegations that the outrage was orchestrated for publicity, director Prem has denied any such intent.
“I don’t want any controversy. Mine is an emotional film, and the song is meant to be something people dance to at parties. It’s been well received in Karnataka and Kerala. Why would I want controversy?” he says.
Prem explains that while he wrote the original Kannada lyrics, the Hindi version was translated by lyricist Raqueeb Alam. He admits he was unaware of the specific wording that later drew criticism. “Everything went smoothly with the Kannada original. I didn’t understand the Hindi words used in translation as I am not fluent in the language. I come from a village where phrases like ‘neeche mat gira, uthao’ are part of everyday speech, it’s Janapada,” he adds.
The filmmaker says the contentious lines have now been revised and the updated version will be sent to the Censor Board. Expressing regret, he says, “If anyone is hurt, I am very sorry. Our big film faced a small lyrics issue, but it has been blown out of proportion. There are so many larger problems in the world, war hai, LPG gas ki problem hai toh kyun ek gaane pe itni badi controversy kar di?”
