Bollywood film Jaat, led by Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, has sparked controversy following its release on April 10. The Christian community has come forward to object to a scene featuring Randeep standing inside a church, with members calling for the film to be banned. Also read: Randeep Hooda admits rejecting Rang De Basanti due to his ‘Jaat akad’: Won’t stand behind Aamir Khan
Christian community demands ban on Jaat
The scene, which has caused a stir, shows Randeep standing inside a church, beneath a crucifix placed above the sacred pulpit. In another scene, members of the congregation are seen praying in the church. The clip comes with references to violence inside the church, which the community finds offensive. The scene was part of the trailer.
Several representatives of the Christian community have expressed deep offence, stating that the film’s portrayal has hurt their religious sentiments and desecrated the sacred space of the church’s pulpit. A video also showed protestors raising slogans of ‘Randeep Hooda murdabad.’
The Christian community initially planned to protest outside cinemas showing Jaat, but police intervention prevented the demonstrations. Instead, community representatives have submitted a memorandum to the Joint Commissioner, demanding a ban on the film’s screening in theatres and calling for legal action against the cast and crew for allegedly hurting their religious sentiments. The community has given a 48-hour ultimatum with a warning of protests if no action is taken.
All about Jaat
Apart from Sunny and Randeep, Jaat also stars Regena Cassandrra, Saiyami Kher, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Vineet Kumar Singh, Prashant Bajaj, Zarina Wahab, P Ravi Shankar and Babloo Prithiveeraj. Mythri Movie Makers and People Media Factory produced it. Jaat tells the story of a mysterious man (Sunny) who chances upon a village in Chirala, Andhra Pradesh, struggling under oppression by Ranatunga (Randeep) and his wife Bharathi (Regena). A small confrontation escalates into something bigger, and he takes it upon himself to save these people from oppression.
The film was released in theatres on April 10 and received mixed reviews. According to Sacnilk, the film has crossed the ₹50 crore barrier in less than a week of its release. It raked in an estimated ₹6.00 crore net in India on Tuesday, taking the total to ₹53.50 crore net.
