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Nehru intervened in Dilip Kumar's 'Hey Ram' dialogue
10 Sep
Summary
- Censor board questioned Dilip Kumar's dialogue due to his faith.
- Prime Minister Nehru reviewed the film and found no issues.
- Film clearance led to other pending movies being approved.
Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia recently discussed censorship in Indian cinema, recalling a significant episode from Dilip Kumar's 1961 classic, Ganga Jamuna. The film reportedly faced an objection from the censor board concerning a dialogue where Dilip Kumar's character utters "Hey Ram" while dying.
The core of the objection, as claimed by Dhulia at an event, was the perceived impropriety of a Muslim actor saying "Hey Ram." The argument presented by the filmmakers was that the character, Ganga, was Hindu and thus justified in using the phrase. However, the censor board initially resisted this explanation, halting the film's release.
Ultimately, the dispute was brought before then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Dhulia stated that Nehru reviewed Ganga Jamuna and found nothing objectionable in the dialogue. Following the film's clearance by Nehru, there was a concern about appearing to grant special treatment to Dilip Kumar. Consequently, other films that were pending with the censor board were also subsequently approved.
