Sunny Deol’s upcoming film Suryaa is already making headlines, even before its release. The film’s teaser has irked doctors, who have raised concerns about how the medical profession is shown in the story.
The issue has now reached the Delhi High Court. The court has asked the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the film’s producers to respond to the concerns. Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak is set to release in theatres on November 20. The next hearing is scheduled for November 16.
According to a report by The Print, Justice Amit Mahajan has sent notices to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the CBFC, and the film’s producers, MM Moviez and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited.
The petition has been filed by four doctors from Delhi: Dr Nishant Soni, Dr Ashish Tomar, Dr Ravi Bhatia and Dr Shivam Vatsal. All four work at different corporate hospitals. Their lawyer, Varun Singh, has asked the court to remove the film’s teaser from online platforms.
Office bearers of D.O.C.S (Doctors of Corporate Society) are also part of the petition. The doctors said they approached the court because of the “inaction of authorities”. They believe the film shows private hospital doctors in a bad light and could affect how people look at the medical profession. They are also worried that such content could lead to more anger and violence against healthcare workers.
The doctors have pointed out that medical staff are sometimes attacked by relatives of patients. They feel this makes it important to be careful about how the profession is shown on screen.
The doctors have also raised questions about the film’s teaser. It describes Suryaa as “inspired by unbelievable true events” and promises to show the “shocking truth” about the medical system. While the film is fictional, the petitioners fear that viewers may believe the events shown in it are real. They feel this could create mistrust towards doctors and hospitals.
The doctors want the authorities to review the film under the Cinematograph Act and the Information Technology Act. They have also asked the makers to add a disclaimer to the promotional material, making it clear that the story is not real. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also raised concerns about the film earlier. It called for a review of Suryaa and wrote to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw about the matter.
Directed by M. Padmakumar, Suryaa marks his Bollywood debut. The film is a Hindi remake of the 2018 Malayalam film Joseph, which was also remade in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. The film also stars Ravi Kishan, Saumya Tandon, Manish Wadhwa, Jisshu Sengupta, Pragya Jaisal and Tinnu Anand in important roles. Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak is scheduled to release in cinemas on November 20.
