On 3 March, activists from the Valmiki organization, active in North India, protested against the use of word ‘bhangan’ for Jalebi’s role and also against scenes including the one in which Jalebi is made to sit separately during the prayer offering made to God. Yesterday, some screenings of Delhi 6 were stopped in Delhi cinemas outside, which protests were held.
A police complaint has been made by Valmiki organization in Delhi asking for deletion of the scene and some Delhi cinemas have received a letter informing them about the same from the DCP. The letter states that Valmiki community is of the opinion that the remarks made in Delhi 6 have tarnished the image of their community; hence the scene should be deleted, failing which the organization may demonstrate against the film.
In the mean time, UTV has filed for police protection at the cinemas where the film is being screened. UTV Motion Pictures AVP north & east Girish Johar says, “The film has been certified by the Censor Board of India. We have already taken into account the scenes to which the Censor Board raised an objection earlier. Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra was not trying to show Jalebi’s character in a derogatory manner.”
UTV has not received any written notification from the police or the organization. Nonetheless director Mehra will be visiting the capital tomorrow to meet the deputy commissioner of police to resolve the matter.
In the movie Jalebi plays the role of trash picker, who on various occasions in the movie, faces discrimination and humiliation from the society, but eventually gets married to a man of a higher stature in the movie.
