Sunny Deol's Suryaa faces medical body's objection over portrayal of doctors

The IMA has asked Ashwini Vaishnaw to urgently review Sunny Deol's Suryaa. It says the portrayal could endanger healthcare workers and weaken public trust.

In Short

• IMA urges review of Suryaa for negative medical portrayal
• Warnings against normalising attacks on medical staff
• Film teaser released, movie out on November 20

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking an urgent review of the film Suryaa - Ant Se Aarambh Tak over its portrayal of the medical profession and alleged violence against healthcare workers.

In a letter, the IMA raised concerns about the film's depiction of corruption in healthcare, alleged misconduct by medical professionals and scenes of alleged violence against doctors, nursing staff and hospital personnel. The association requested an impartial review of the film and appropriate action if justified under applicable law.

The IMA said the film's portrayal risks creating the impression that corruption, unethical practices and alleged wrongdoing are widespread across the medical fraternity. It stressed that authorities must investigate and punish individual misconduct without tarnishing the reputation of honest and dedicated doctors.

The association also expressed concern that scenes depicting physical assaults on healthcare professionals, particularly when presented as heroic or justified acts, could normalise violence against those committed to saving lives.

The letter highlighted the safety and security challenges doctors and other healthcare personnel already face in hospitals. According to the IMA, content that appears to glorify attacks on medical professionals may encourage hostility and further endanger healthcare workers providing essential services.

The association further warned that such portrayals could undermine public confidence in the doctor-patient relationship by fostering unwarranted mistrust and hostility towards doctors, weakening the mutual trust and cooperation necessary for effective treatment and healthcare delivery.

The IMA clarified that it does not support corruption, unethical medical practices or professional misconduct. However, it maintained that wrongdoing by individuals should be addressed through appropriate legal and disciplinary action rather than generalised to an entire profession.

"India needs more dedicated and motivated doctors to meet the healthcare needs of its growing population," the letter stated, claiming that negative portrayals could demoralise medical students, discourage aspiring doctors from entering the profession and undermine the dignity of a vocation built on years of hard work, sacrifice, compassion and service to humanity.

SURYAA TEASER UNVEILED ON SUNNY DEOL'S BIRTHDAY

The controversy comes after the makers of Suryaa unveiled the film's teaser on Monday to mark veteran actor Sunny Deol's birthday.

According to the makers, the teaser opens with a deeply personal loss that leaves the central character carrying the scars of his past before drawing him into a disturbing chain of events connected to the medical system.

The film also stars 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 in theatres on November 20.

- Ends