Delhi HC issues notice to CBFC, Centre over Sunny Deol's Suryaa as doctors flag violence against healthcare workers in the teaser | Bollywood

Sunny Deol’s upcoming film Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak has run into legal trouble ahead of its theatrical release, with a group of doctors approaching the Delhi High Court over its teaser. They have alleged that the film paints doctors in private hospitals in a negative light and could encourage hostility towards healthcare professionals. Taking up the petition, the court has sought responses from the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the film's producers. The matter will be heard next on November 16.Why doctors have objected to the teaserAccording to a report by The Print, Justice Amit Mahajan has issued notices to the CBFC, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, producer M M Moviez and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. During the hearing, advocate Varun Singh, who appeared for the doctors, urged the court to stop the teaser from being shown online. The court, however, chose not to pass any immediate order on the request.The petition has been filed by four Delhi-based doctors, Dr. Nishant Soni, Dr. Ashish Tomar, Dr. Ravi Bhatia and Dr. Shivam Vatsal, who are associated with different corporate hospitals. Office bearers of D.O.C.S (Doctors of Corporate Society) are also part of the plea. The doctors have approached the court, alleging that the authorities failed to act on their complaints about the teaser. They have cited the "inaction of authorities" as one of the reasons for filing the petition, arguing that the way the film portrays the medical profession could have real-world consequences. The plea maintains that the threat posed by such "unverifiable and defamatory content is not speculative." They have also raised concerns about the safety of doctors, pointing out that medical professionals often face anger and even attacks from patients' families, especially when treatment does not go as expected. The petitioners fear that portraying doctors as dishonest and money-minded could deepen mistrust between patients and healthcare workers, worsening an already difficult situation.What is the controversy around Suryaa's story?The petition states that Suryaa is a Hindi adaptation of the 2018 Malayalam film Joseph, directed by M. Padmakumar. The original film tells the story of a retired police officer who stumbles upon an organ-harvesting racket linked to the alleged misuse of brain-stem death declarations at a private hospital. Released on October 19 on Zee Music Company's YouTube channel, the trailer describes the film as "inspired by unbelievable true events" and promises to uncover the "shocking truth" about the medical system.The petitioners believe this could give audiences the impression that the incidents shown are real, even though the film is fictional. They have also raised objections to the depiction of private hospitals allegedly obtaining consent for organ donation after declaring patients brain-stem dead. The doctors have further questioned the portrayal of medical professionals as people who overcharge patients, push unnecessary tests and earn commissions.They argue that such representations, especially when presented as inspired by true events, could create mistrust towards doctors and hospitals. Their concerns also extend to the response the teaser has received online. The petition points to comments on its YouTube page, alleging that some viewers have gone as far as issuing threats and calling for violence against doctors.What the petitioners wantThe doctors have also sought a wider review of the film and its promotional content, asking the authorities to step in under the Cinematograph Act and the Information Technology Act. They want the teaser taken down from online platforms until it has been examined by the concerned authorities. The petition also calls for changes to the film and its promotional material, if needed, and a clear disclaimer stating that the story is fictional. The doctors have further urged the authorities to introduce guidelines that bring online teasers and trailers under the film-certification process. IMA objectsThe controversy over the film had already drawn attention of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which wrote to Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over a week ago, asking for an urgent review of the film. The doctors’ body flagged concerns over the promotional video of theSunny Deol-starrer, arguing that its portrayal of doctors could damage the public's perception of the medical profession and affect the trust patients place in healthcare workers.The IMA took particular objection to what it described as the “generalisation of corruption within healthcare” and the “depiction of violence against medical professionals”. It cautioned that such portrayals could put doctors at greater risk and strain the already sensitive relationship between patients and healthcare providers. About the filmSunny Deol's Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak is set to arrive in theatres on November 20. The film is a Hindi remake of the Malayalam thriller Joseph, which went on to be remade in Tamil as Visithiran, Telugu as Sekhar and Kannada as Ravi Bopanna. With Suryaa, director M. Padmakumar brings the story to Hindi audiences, marking his Bollywood directorial debut.