It's A Mere Item Number
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
24 March 2026
Fatwa against Nora Fatehi: Bollywood is once again in the eye of a storm. The ‘Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke’ track from the upcoming film ‘KD: The Devil’, featuring Sanjay Dutt and Nora Fatehi, has become the centre of a raging controversy. Now, the authorities and religious bodies have joined the debate in full force.
Chief Mufti Maulana Ebrahim Hussain of the Muslim Personal Darul Ifta in Aligarh didn’t hold back. In a strongly worded statement, he declared that the visuals and lyrics of the song are objectionable under Islamic teachings.
According to the cleric, the use of explicit “real” visuals makes the content haram, forbidden, and a gunah-e-kabira, or a grave sin. He warned that both participating in and promoting such material goes against religious principles.
Courtesy NAI
Yes, the song is outright vulgar and it has been justifiably banned. The point is, what's vulgar and atrocious is really bad and objectionable. Why to call and categorise that as haram or unIslamic just because a Muslim female is part of the song and Sanjay Dutt is a half-Muslim from the distaff side? Had there been some other non-Muslim actress instead of Nora Fatehi (born Naura Fathi), the song would still have been condemned but no religious angle would have been discussed and debated. Moreover, no Muslim organization would have issued a fatwa (edict) against any non-Muslim actor or actress.
Seeing and judging everything through the prism of religion and a specific community is outright puerile and also exasperating. A song should be panned or praised on its own merit. It must not include the singer or actor's faith. Agreed, the singer or actor can be criticised, even chastised, for singing a smutty double entendre song and that's it. It's stupidity to bring in religion and edicts. Yes, ethics can be brought in but nothing more than that. Followers of all faiths have become too thin-skinned and touchy. Nowadays, all songs and dialogues are scrutinised through the lens of religiosity, community and ethnicity. There are many execrable songs in Bhojpuri and Punjabi.
They're played at kiosks and seedy restaurants 24x7. Those 'songs' can put even the most audacious guys to shame with their in-your-face vulgarity. Ban them as well. Calling a song haram smacks of fanaticism. Instead, call it an Intihaai na-zeb naghma and move on. Remember, it's a mere item number; not a matter of life and death. We've far more pressing issues to contend with.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/its-a-mere-item-number-/d/139378
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