War hero demeaned in film

Daughter of Nand Singh, a rare winner of two gallantry awards (Victoria Cross and Maha Vir Chakra), has sent a legal notice to Whitehill Productions for "irresponsible, derogatory and wrong depiction" of her father in Punjabi film Jatt and Juliet-2.

Earlier, the production house was asked via mail to delete the scene. Victoria Cross (VC) was the highest gallantry award in the British colonial times and Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest gallantry award of independent India.

In the beginning of the film, the hero, shown to be from Punjab Police and bragging that he is from a generation of police head constables, points out to some pictures on the wall, one of which is of jemadar Nand Singh. "Not only is the depiction incorrect but also no permission to use the photograph in a commercial movie was sought from the family," said Amarjeet Kaur, daughter of Nand Singh and a resident of SAS Nagar.

The instance has not only hurt the family and caused it immense pain but also demeaned the sacrifice of the late legendary gallant soldier, Amarjeet Kaur has said. "Till date, we have no reply from the production house," said Shamsher Singh Dhindsa, Amarjeet's husband.

Dhindsa's son and daughter-in-law saw the movie on the first day of release and came back and reported the matter. Then, the soldier's daughter and husband saw it. Amarjeet Kaur is hurt that the film depicts a soldier decorated with both VC and MVC as head constable of Punjab Police. Nand Singh was junior commissioned officer in the army, a Class-2/Group-B gazetted rank. The jemadar rank is now naib subedar.

The family has demanded immediate deletion of the scene from the movie and a public apology in all major national and regional newspapers from the producers, along with a clarification in all future screenings. It also wants the family indemnified for the loss of reputation.