For the past few days, the song Sarke Chunar from the Kannada film KD – The Devil has been widely discussed online, but largely for the wrong reasons. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on April 30, 2026, and the controversy around this track has brought it unwanted attention.
Featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, the song is composed by Arjun Janya, sung by Mangli (Satyavathi Rathod), and written by Raqueeb Alam. Soon after its release, the song began drawing criticism from viewers.
The issue mainly revolves around the song’s lyrics and visuals. Several viewers pointed out that the opening lines contain unnecessary double entendres, which are disrespectful towards women. The choreography has also been criticised, particularly moments where Nora Fatehi repeatedly drops and picks up her saree’s pallu, with some calling it inappropriate.
As the criticism grew, the song became a talking point on social media. Reactions came not only from the public but also from celebrities such as Armaan Malik, Kangana Ranaut, and Harbhajan Singh.
The controversy soon escalated beyond online discussions. Advocate Vineet Jindal filed complaints with the CBFC and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. A separate complaint was also filed with the Delhi Police Cyber Cell, raising concerns under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act, particularly regarding access to the song by minors. The National Human Rights Commission later issued a notice to the filmmakers, seeking action on the matter.
Following these developments, the Hindi version of Sarke Chunar was taken down from official platforms on March 17, 2026. However, versions in other languages continue to remain available on YouTube. It remains to be seen when they will be taken down.
The film’s team has not issued any official response so far. Lyricist Raqueeb Alam, however, stated that his role was limited to translating the original Kannada lyrics into Hindi.
KD – The Devil is produced by KVN Productions, which is already dealing with delays related to Jana Nayagan and Toxic. Directed by Prem, the film is planned as a multi-language release and features Dhruva Sarja, Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Reeshma Nanaiah, Jisshu Sengupta, and Nora Fatehi in key roles. How this controversy will impact the film’s release and reception remains to be seen.
