Sanjay Dutt committed to sponsor the education of 50 tribal girl children as part of efforts towards social welfare and women’s empowerment, the NCW said in a statement.
Published: April 28, 2026 3:35 PM IST
Actor Sanjay Dutt appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday over the controversy surrounding the song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke. He submitted a written apology, saying he regrets any “unintended” harm caused to society. During the hearing, led by NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, the commission raised concerns about alleged vulgarity and the indecent portrayal of women in the song from KD: The Devil. They also questioned the makers about their intent, awareness, and responsibility.
The chairperson questioned whether proper checks were done before being part of content that could be seen as objectifying women. She also stressed that senior and influential public figures have a responsibility to ensure their work follows legal rules and respects societal standards. As a corrective measure, Dutt committed to sponsoring the education of 50 tribal girl children as part of efforts towards social welfare and women’s empowerment, the NCW said in a statement.
He also assured the commission that his future artist agreements would include mandatory legal due diligence provisions to ensure dignified and appropriate representation of women and children in films and related creative projects.
Also Read: Sarke Chunar Teri song row: Bad news for Nora Fatehi, NCW gives last chance to her
Actor Nora Fatehi, who was also summoned, could not appear because she is currently abroad and has sought a fresh date for the hearing.
On April 6, other individuals associated with the song, including director Kiran Kumar alias Prem, lyricist Raqueeb Alam, and representatives of KVN Production Company Gautam K M and Suprith, appeared before the commission and submitted their apologies.
Artistic freedom is important but it has to be practiced responsibly and sensitively, the NCW said reiterating the need for accountability in content that reaches wide public audiences and reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and representation of women.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, drew public ire for its sexually explicit lyrics.
After the outrage, the makers deleted the Hindi version of the song from YouTube, although it was widely played and shared across various platforms.
Also Read: Nora Fatehi’s song Sarke Chunar’s singer Mangli apologies, says ‘Corrected version will be…’
Nora Fatehi, in a video later, distanced herself from the song, saying she shot the video for the Kannada version and her permission was not taken to use it in the Hindi version.
The lyricist, singer, and director also apologised.
The issue was brought up in Lok Sabha during Question Hour by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Anand Bhadoria last month.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the song was already banned and the government was ready to take action against such vulgarity.
KD: The Devil is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi. It will release on April 30. The film also features Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, and Shilpa Shetty.
