Open Letter To The Producer Of Singh Is Kinng

[DashmeshForce]

Jagmohan Singh writes an open letter to the producer of Singh is Kinng and expresses dismay at the poor sense of costume and characterisation in the movie comparing it with the Hollywood movie, Evan Almighty

Dear Vipul Shah:

Greetings from the homeland of the Sikhs –the Punjab.

According to media reports, Akshay Kumar and Anees Bazmee presented the script of the movie, Singh is Kinng to you and you all agreed “over the phone in less than two minutes.” Well, so says the report. To me it sums up the Bollywood pattern and style of hollowness, ficklemindedness and lack of preparedness in picking up themes and executing them.

There is no doubt that creativity needs a spark and perhaps the ‘muslim friend of the Sikhs’ -Bazmee provided you with one. It is interesting that the ‘sherdill’ character of a Sikh was a unique thought and the omnipresent slogan behind Sikh-owned trucks, “Singh is Kinng” inspired Akshay Kumar to name the movie accordingly.

Have you seen the Hollywood movie, Evan Almighty ? I have had the chance to see the environment-friendly movie which sadly did not do well at the box office. I was quiet pleased with the character of Congressman Evan Baxter, played by lead actor, Steve Carell and his attire. This 2007 comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac, as a sequel to Bruce Almighty, was made at a cost of 200 million dollars.

Since the hero had awoved in his electoral campaign, to “change the world”, he was asked by God –played by Morgan Freeman to build an Ark if he wanted to fulfil his promise.

I mention the movie as it had more than the “Mughal-e-Azam” kind of planning. I will focus on only one aspect of the meticulousness of the team making the movie. According to observers, “Evan's costume was created after thorough research of the clothing at the time of Noah. To create Evan's beard and long hair, three designers spent three hours each day adding individual hairs using prosthetic adhesive and making him wear custom wigs, which consisted of both human and yak hair. For his costumes, designers spoke with textile experts, researched historical costume information on the clothing at the time of Noah, and used aged fibers in the clothing.” To view the effect of this kind of eye for detail, I invite you to carefully study the photograph given with this letter of the main character –Evan Baxter.

I am not mentioning here the extensive research and planning that underwent in various other departments of the movie as that is not the subject of this note.

Nearer home, we have the case of Shashi Kapoor’s son Kunal Kapoor who played the role of Angad Singh in the film Vijeta. He kept a beard for months before beginning the shoot.

Compare this with the face of Akshay Kumar, his ready-made dangling turban which is bound to render pain to Sikhs and some others who hold Sikhs dear to their heart. This Happy Singh will make many Sikhs sad. It is true that ‘hasna Sikhan di shaan hai” as your song goes, but the Indian film industry, of late has inflicted a lot of injury and stress to Sikhs.

I acknowledge that when approached by Sikh organisations of Mumbai, you did what was required by the Sikhs; reshot and edited some portions of the movie. You were graceful enough to accept your mistake, so was the lead actor and others attached to the project. You destroyed tonnes of publicity material at the request of Sikh organisations and that is commendable, to say the least.

It is a little comforting that as a face-saving and salvaging afterthought action, the lead actor, Akshay Kumar sports unshorn hair at the end of the movie and regrets his apostate form in the movie.

You will agree with me that this time around you may escape the anger of the Sikhs only in a spirit of accomodation and not in the manner of setting a precedent, but it is important to mention what some of those who previewed the movie did tell you. They said that "the film industry must ensure that the picturisation of a Sikh character and the use of Gurbani should be dealt with at the script level. At this stage, all changes that have been brought about in this movie, were only a damage-control exercise." The producer/director of movies should familiarise with Sikh affairs and interact with Sikh organisations to avoid “regrettable mistakes.”

Alongside Sikh groups and individuals, I would be writing to Bunty Walia, the producer of the proposed movie, 21 -Battle of Saragarhi –from Ashes to Glory, to ensure that the main character of Havildar Ishar Singh is depicted by Sanjay Dutt in as exemplary a manner as the character deserves. I propose to open dialogue with the Saragarhi movie team including Sanjay Dutt, at the initial stages so that energies of the Sikh world are not wasted handling the consequences of malicious portrayal through neglect or otherwise.

Oddly, as if one was not enough, now we have two Kinngs wearing the turban. The Los Angeles-based Snoop Dogg - real name Calvin Broadus - teamed up with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for the video for the song Singh is Kinng. Shot on locations in Chicago, the two actors seemingly enjoyed the shoot and their Sikh characterisation.

Perhaps the Hollywood singer did not know that like the Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and you, he too would come in for severe criticism for indulging in imitating and lampooning the Sikh image in the new music video album.

According to media reports, for the sherwani and turban clad heroes, you have put in a whopping two and a half million pounds to make the video.

Your movie, Singh is Kinng is slated to release this week, after many a round of editing, re-shooting and re-editing to satisfy Sikh fears and anger as much as possible.

The film is is supposed to project the Sikhs. Having read about the movie and having talked to those who previewed it, (in any case, there is nothing much to be seen in one Hindi movie from the other) I can safely say that it is yet another Hindi song-dance movie, with all the typical masala thrown in. It attempts to glorify the Sikh character and their history through songs in English, Hindi and Punjabi, calling the Sikhs, rulers of the world and extolling their qualities of large-heartedness, godliness and sacrifice. When it does so in the midst of semi-clad women, it trivialises the whole history and character of the Sikhs.

I would like to apprise you that the SGPC has left it to the people of Punjab to decide after a high-level team had viewed the movie in Mumbai recently and decided not to make an issue of it. The DSGMC has demanded the withdrawal of anti-Sikh promos and urged the Delhi government to intervene.

In one of your interviews, you have said that the the turban worn by the international artist -Snoop Dogg is not a Sikh turban but a symbolic one. I am aware of a large number of Hollywood actors –heroes and heroines wearing turbans in Hollywood movies. What you have failed to realize is that when the whole film is Sikh-based, then to say that the turban is a symbolic one is nothing but being insensitive.

I believe that till the Indian film industry understands the sensitivities of ethnic peoples and regional groups, liberty in the name of creativity will be the norm and not the exception.

I am acutely aware that having a plethora of Sikh artistes with unSikh faces dotting the Punjabi film and music industry, the job of Sikh bodies and that of the concerned Sikhs becomes even more difficult, whilst dealing with Bollywood where nuances of identity and sensitivity are lost in the world of crass commercial gains. Though I must add that “two wrongs do not make a right.”

It would be in the fitness of things for you to start a campaign for appropriate portrayal of Sikhs in the Indian film industry after your experience of this movie.

Whatever your movie may represent, the devout Sikh appropriately sums up the situation saying, “there may be many Kinngs around, but it is very difficult to find a Singh.”

Rab Rakha.

Jagmohan Singh

Jagmohan Singh is a commentator based in Ludhiana. He may be contacted at jsbigideas@gmail.com

Source - http://www.worldsikhnews.com/6%20August%20...0No%20Singh.htm

[Singh_Valiance]

appreciated and nicely written.

[BABBAR KHALISTANI]

A few more of such letters to various directors personally will help a lot. And do open letters help? I mean will Vipul Shah read it at all? Won't a personal letter or an email serve the purpose amicably?

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

respect to jagmohan singh.

[buddasingh]

....

Dear Vipul Shah:

....

I am acutely aware that having a plethora of Sikh artistes with unSikh faces dotting the Punjabi film and music industry, the job of Sikh bodies and that of the concerned Sikhs becomes even more difficult, whilst dealing with Bollywood where nuances of identity and sensitivity are lost in the world of crass commercial gains. Though I must add that “two wrongs do not make a right.”

....

Source - http://www.worldsikhnews.com/6%20August%20...0No%20Singh.htm

very well written... and if singh is kinng can be described as offensive to sikhs, the first line of the paragraph above could be describing our own disgraceful state of affairs.

We shout out our caste like a proud brahmin, while cowering and camouflaging our guru-given identity. Then we wish to call ourselves lions.

Is it any wonder others easily accept us portrayed as clowns?

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

....

Dear Vipul Shah:

....

I am acutely aware that having a plethora of Sikh artistes with unSikh faces dotting the Punjabi film and music industry, the job of Sikh bodies and that of the concerned Sikhs becomes even more difficult, whilst dealing with Bollywood where nuances of identity and sensitivity are lost in the world of crass commercial gains. Though I must add that “two wrongs do not make a right.”

....

Source - http://www.worldsikhnews.com/6%20August%20...0No%20Singh.htm

very well written... and if singh is kinng can be described as offensive to sikhs, the first line of the paragraph above could be describing our own disgraceful state of affairs.

We shout out our caste like a proud brahmin, while cowering and camouflaging our guru-given identity. Then we wish to call ourselves lions.

Is it any wonder others easily accept us portrayed as clowns?

singh ji i think it is similar to how black people can call each other "niggers" but if a gora or one of us calls a black guy a "nigger" we'll get shot. in the same manner when non-sikhs take a shot at projecting the sikh identity, it's hard for us to give them that freedom.

its the best analogy i can come up with at this moment and state of mind.

peace.