‘Sarke Chunar’ row: Nora Fatehi pulls away as Sanjay Dutt faces NCW heat

Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with complaints over the song ‘Sarke Chunar’ from his upcoming film KD: The Devil. Having earlier publicly distanced herself from the song's controversial Hindi version, his co-actor Nora Fatehi did not attend the hearing.

Dutt, who features in the film but is not its producer, was called as part of the commission’s inquiry into allegations that the song’s lyrics and visuals objectify women. The track, particularly its Hindi version, drew sharp criticism online for suggestive wording and choreography, prompting its removal from YouTube.

While Dutt, as an actor, would have had limited control over the song’s lyrics and release, his seniority and visibility have likely placed him at the centre of the scrutiny.

In a detailed video statement which appeared online in March, Fatehi said she had shot the song three years ago in Kannada and relied on the filmmakers’ translations at the time. “Nothing seemed inappropriate or vulgar when they were translating the song to me,” she said, adding that she does not understand the language.

She drew a clear line between that version and the later Hindi adaptation. “Whatever they’ve done right now — creating a Hindi version and dubbing the voice with those lyrics, which are very inappropriate — I had no idea about that. They didn’t take any approvals or permission from me,” she said.

Fatehi further claimed she had warned the director upon hearing the Hindi track: “I told the director, this is not going to be OK, this will get a lot of backlash.” She also alleged that promotional material, including a lyrical video and images, was released without her consent, and said she chose not to promote the film as a result.

The episode has raised questions about accountability, with Dutt the only prominent face to appear before the NCW so far, despite multiple stakeholders being involved in the song’s creation and release. The controversy escalated after complaints from industry bodies and public figures, and even drew assurances in Parliament that action had been taken against the track.

Directed by Prem, KD: The Devil is scheduled for release on 30 April, with no indication yet of any change in its rollout.

With PTI inputs