Akal Takht sets up 'Sikh Censor Board'

The Akal Takht today set up a 'Sikh Censor Board', saying it was "mandatory" for filmmakers now to seek approval from it before making a movie on a subject related to Sikhs and their religion.

The move comes after a row over the release last month of 'Nanak Shah Fakir', a film on the first Sikh guru.

The Supreme Court had refused to stay the movie's release after the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) approached it.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, said it set up the "censor board" following a controversy because of "distortion of facts pertaining to Sikh Gurus and Sikh history in movies".

In a statement in Amritsar, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said it had been made "mandatory" for very filmmaker to seek the board's approval before making a movie related to the Sikh religion and the Sikh heritage.

On the recommendation of this board, the Akal Takht will give its final approval to any of such movie, documentary or animation film.

The 21-member board includes Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, members of the SGPC and the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, and academicians from Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana and Punjabi University Patiala.

The film's producer Harinder Singh Sikka recently said the SGPC had initially approved the movie but later changed its decision.