Even as #BoycottDabangg3 has been trending on Twitter since Friday morning over netizens' claim that the film has upset Hindu sentiments, a Bengaluru-based NGO, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, has demanded that the films censor certificate should be cancelled. Controversy rose after a section of social media objected to scenes in the film's title song that shows saffron-clad sadhus dancing with guitars. In a letter submitted to Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) Bengaluru office, the NGO wrote, "Request to cancel the Censor certificate to the forthcoming movie Dabang 3, which insults Hindu Dharma".
The internet stands divided over the issue as a parallel hashtag -- #AwaitingDabangg3 -- mushroomed on social media recently, with fans of the superstar tweeting support for his film. Now choreographer Shabina Khan has reacted to the whole controversy and told a publication, "The song features sadhus dancing with guitars. Now, these are not real sadhus! These are dancers in a sadhu get-up performing choreographed steps. We shot the song in Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh. There were a few sadhus who had just gathered to see the shoot. You can see them standing in the background in the song."
She further added that there is nothing disrespectful about the choreography in the song, "Actors have dressed up as sadhus and acted in Bollywood movies even in the past. We have seen Hema Malini teasing a sanyasi in the song Chal Sanyasi Mandir Mein from the Manoj Kumar starrer Sanyasi. Likewise, Mumtaz dressed as a sadhu was seen dancing opposite Rajesh Khanna in the song Gore Rang Pe from the film Roti. I think there is nothing disrespectful in the choreography of the song Hud Hud Dabangg. If people scrutinise each and every move like this then how will we make movies?" she signed off by saying.
Dabangg 3 brings back Salman Khan as the maverick cop Chulbul Pandey, while Sonakshi Sinha returns to reprise Chulbul's wife Rajjo. The new film of the franchise also features Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeep in a negative role and introduces actor-producer Mahesh Manjrekar's daughter Saiee Manjrekar.
(Source: ETImes/with inputs from IANS)
