Trouble over Bihari dialogue in Bobby Deol's film

A dialogue in his soon-to-be-released film, Ek, equates Biharis with killers. Censors cleared promos, but now want them dropped After Kamaal R Khan’s Deshdrohi, another film involving Biharis has hit trouble. Controversial dialogues in the TV promos of Sangeeth Sivan’s Bobby Deol-starrer Ek have stirred a hornet’s nest and landed the Censor Board, which cleared the promo for airing, in the soup.

Currently on air, the promo shows Bobby Deol playing a killer, and the following dialogue in the background: “Aam Aadmi ko marna hai? Dus hazaar ka desi katta aur ek Bihari. Kaam khatam.” (Want to kill an ordinary guy? All you need is a ten thousand rupee country revolver and a Bihari, and the job will be done).

The pejorative promo has led to executive producer Jaswant Khera getting threatening calls from Bihar and a controversy that may yet jeopardise the film’s future. “Once the Censor Board has cleared it why should anyone have a problem?” demands Khera. But after the matter was brought to the Censor Board’s notice, the Board has asked the film's producers to either drop the promo or beep out the word Bihari. "We have raised an objection to the dialogue as in a 30 second or a 15 second promo we can't make out the entire context of the dialogue or what the actor is referring to," says Regional Officer of the Censor Board, Vinayak Azad. The promo was initially passed by someone, said Azad who himself saw it on Wednesday. "I have now asked them to remove it. We can't form such opinions about any caste or community. This clearly refers to Biharis as people who take money to kill people. The Censor Board's intention is to safeguard every community and religion and hence we have told the producers to remove the dialogue from the teaser and they will have to do so accordingly."However, for his part, Khera has a logistical nightmare. "I don't think it will be possible now (to delete) as we have sent the teasers everywhere and it is very difficult. We have told the Board that they can do whatever they want to when the film comes but right now it's impossible for us to remove the teasers from air," he told.

When contacted, the film's director Sangeeth Sivans said:, "We had started the film quite some time back. All these problems of Bihar and UP came much later. We never intended to disrespect anyone but during the time the script was being written we used to read every day in newspapers that the sharp shooters have come from Bihar. But never did we think it could lead to trouble." While Khera has saved all the numbers from which we is getting the threatening calls, and is all set to go to the police, Congress politician and man from Bihar Sanjay Nirupam has requested the Censor Board to ensure that the reference is deleted immediately. "When one makes any creation, any book, any film you cannot comment adversely on any community. I condemn this kind of an attitude and would like to tell the producer and the director of the film that Bihar is not like that. I agree that there are goons in Bihar but goons are everywhere and this kind of a dialogue is in bad taste."link