Rights panel seeks reports from CBFC, MeitY, Google on Sanjay Dutt, Nora Fatehi starrer song’s ‘vulgar, suggestive lyrics’

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Ministry of Information and Technology (MeitY), and Google after it received a complaint that a song from the upcoming film KD: The Devil contained “vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics”.

The NHRC asked them to inquire into the allegations and submit reports within two weeks. The Kannada-language action drama is slated for release on April 30 in five languages. One of the film’s songs, Sarse Ninna Seraga Sarse, was uploaded online on March 14. The video has 5.9 million views as of Tuesday evening.

A complaint was filed with the NHRC on Monday, alleging that the song contained “vulgar, sexually suggestive, and double-meaning lyrics inappropriate for public consumption, especially for children”. Such content, widely accessible through television, social media, and public platforms, “may negatively impact the mental well-being and moral environment of minors,” the complaint said, alleging that explicit lyrical content in mainstream entertainment normalises inappropriate expressions among young audiences.