Sunny Deol’s Suryaa: IMA seeks ban on film; CBFC says film yet to be certified

Sunny Deol’s upcoming film Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak has run into controversy weeks before its scheduled theatrical release, with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) writing to the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry objecting to the film’s portrayal of the medical profession and seeking either corrective action from the filmmakers or a ban on the film if warranted under law. The Central Board of Film Certification has separately clarified that the film has not yet been submitted for certification.

The IMA addressed its letter to Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, raising specific objections to the film’s promotional content. The association said the trailers and teasers create an impression that corruption and unethical practices are widespread across the entire medical profession rather than being confined to individual cases of misconduct.

The IMA acknowledged that professional wrongdoing within healthcare must be investigated and punished through proper legal and disciplinary channels. However, it argued that the actions of a small number of individuals should not be used to damage the reputation of the vast majority of doctors who serve with integrity and dedication.

The association’s most pointed objection concerned scenes in the promotional material that appear to show physical attacks on doctors, nursing staff and hospital workers. The IMA said these scenes are particularly concerning because the violence appears to be presented as justified and even heroic. According to the association, portraying assaults on medical professionals as acts of courage risks making such violence seem acceptable to audiences at a time when healthcare workers already face serious safety threats in hospitals across the country.

The IMA said content that appears to celebrate attacks on people whose job is to save lives could encourage hostility toward medical workers and put them in greater danger. The association was careful to state that it does not defend corruption, unethical medical practices or professional misconduct in any form. Its objection is specifically to what it described as the generalisation of alleged wrongdoing across the entire profession and the normalisation of violence as a response to it.

IMA seeks ‘independent review’ of Sunny Deol’s film

The association made three specific requests. First, it asked the I&B Ministry to conduct an independent review of the film’s content and its treatment of the medical profession. Second, it sought corrective measures from the filmmakers to address the generalisation of misconduct and the depiction of violence against healthcare workers. Third, it asked the government to consider a ban or other appropriate action if the film’s content is found to violate applicable laws.

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In response to the growing controversy, the CBFC clarified through the I&B Ministry that the film has not been submitted for certification. The clarification, reported by news agency ANI, means the censors have not viewed the film, have not evaluated its content and have not issued any certificate for its theatrical exhibition.

About Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak

Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak stars Sunny Deol as a man whose personal tragedy pulls him into a confrontation with the medical system. The film’s promotional material, according to its makers, shows a character who begins questioning what others have accepted and uncovers a disturbing truth hidden beneath what appears to be a legitimate system.

Alongside Sunny Deol, the cast includes Ravi Kishan, Pragya Jaiswal, Tanushree Chakraborty, Manish Wadhwa, Tinu Anand, Virti Vaghani, Jisshu Sengupta, Khalid Siddiqui, Anoop Trivedi and Rohit Tiwari. Suryaa: Ant Se Aarambh Tak is scheduled to release on November 20.