The controversy surrounding the song ‘Sarse Ninna Seraga’ from Dhruva Sarja's KD: The Devil, has snowballed into a major debate. Picturised on Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, criticism has mounted over its Hindi version, ‘Sarke Chunariya’, with the issue even being raised in the Parliament. Even Nora publicly expressed her dissatisfaction.
The song, composed by Arjun Janya and produced under the banner of KVN Productions, has come under fire for its Hindi lyrics, which have been deemed objectionable by many.
Breaking his silence, director and lyricist Prem issued a video statement, maintaining that there was no intent to offend. “No one deliberately makes mistakes. I have written songs about mother, God, love, relationships, and folk subjects. Audiences come to my films expecting good music, and I remain grateful for that,” he said.
Explaining the idea behind the song, Prem said, “When I wrote ‘Sarse Ninna…’, it came from a different perspective. The imagery was based on a bottle and pickle. I structured the lines to create curiosity. There was nothing vulgar in my mind. It has been understood differently.”
He acknowledged the backlash and said he is willing to correct the course. “If people have felt hurt, I apologise. That was never my intention. I have never written anything with an obscene meaning, and I will not do it till my death. I will rewrite the song and upload a new Hindi version,” he said.
On the Hindi version, Prem pointed to a disconnect, stating that some words, written by Raqueeb Alam, did not sit right with him and that he could not fully engage due to language limitations. Prem said that the blame had been directed at him, but added that it may have come out of fear of facing controversy.
Responding sharply to Nora Fatehi’s remarks, Prem said, “An actor commits to a project only if they feel it is right and performs after understanding the lyrics. Without that, expression is not possible. She had earlier spoken positively about the song at a recent event. What she has said now is disappointing, but it does not matter,” he said.
Prem maintained that the issue lies in interpretation, not intent, and said the revised version of the song will be released with care to ensure it does not hurt sentiments.