YouTuber Dhruv Rathee takes down video after backlash over AI depiction of Sikh guru

The Print

21-05-2025

Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and the last Guru of the Sikhs while Banda Singh Bahadur—a Hindu who converted to Sikhism under the tutelage of Guru Gobind Singh, rose to become a warrior who fought the Mughals.
Any portrayal of Sikh gurus and their family members is banned by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Chandigarh: Following a severe backlash from Sikh bodies, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has pulled down his latest video depicting the lives of Guru Gobind Singh and Banda Singh Bahadur through AI-generated animation.
In a message put out on his channel, which has over 28.6 million followers, Rathee said Monday that he was withdrawing the video as he did not want the matter to turn into a political or religious controversy. 'Thank you for your feedback on the latest video. Even though many of you appreciated the video and would like it to stay on the channel, I have decided to remove it because some viewers feel strongly that any animated depiction of the Sikh gurus conflicts with their beliefs. I do not want this to become a political or religious controversy, because the video was simply an effort to showcase the stories of our Indian heroes in a new educational format,' the post said.
In the 25-minute video, Rathee has depicted the early life of Guru Gobind Singh after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by the Mughals. He goes on to narrate the life of the guru and his battles with the Mughals in which he lost his four sons. The second half of the video is on the life of Banda Singh Bahadur. The video is AI-generated animation with Rathee foreground.
Rathee also used the video to advertise his workshop that teaches AI tools to those interested in making similar videos.
The SGPC had in 2003 passed a resolution against actors playing Sikh gurus, which was later extended to animated depictions by a sub-committee in 2019.
In 2022, the SGPC had sought a ban on the release of Punjabi film Dastaan-E-Sirhind. The part-animated, part-live action film depicted the lives of the four sahibzadas (the sons of Guru Gobind Singh). The film is yet to be released.
The Akal Takht—the highest temporal body of the Sikhs—banned the Punjabi film Nanak Shah Fakir on similar grounds in 2018.
In 2019, another film, Dastaan-E-Miri Piri, ran into trouble over the alleged portrayal of Sikh gurus. A sub-committee of the SGPC eventually allowed its release on the condition that all references to a character personifying Guru Hargobind Singh, the sixth guru, be removed.
The SGPC had in 2014 allowed the making of an animated film on the lives of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh. It was widely criticised over its decision to acquire the rights to the film for Rs 4 crore.
In 2016, the SGPC allowed the film to be screened on government vans across Punjab as part of the then Akali Dal government's publicity campaign.
ThePrint reached Rathee for a comment via email. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
'Inaccuracies'
Experts have claimed there are errors in Rathee's video when it comes to facts and Sikh maryada (code of conduct).
'To show panj piaaras with kalghis on their heads has never happened. Kalghis were adornments only for the Guru's headgears. To show the young Guru Gobind Singh ji crying following the death of his father is not appropriate. Amrit is prepared using patashas, not sugar,' said Professor Amarjit Singh from the Centre on Studies in Shri Guru Granth Sahib at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
He added: 'Even the period related to Banda Singh Bahadur has mistakes in the chronology of events. The role played by Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah for instance, the battle of Lohgarh etc has been shoddily depicted. The war flags have been shown in green colour which is not the colour of Sikhs, but of jihadis. Guru Granth Sahib is considered to be a living Guru of the Sikhs and cannot be referred to as a book.'
The professor said that even if the 'mistakes were unintentional', Rathee should have done better research when dealing with such a sensitive subject.
Even when films are made on Sikh generals, the SGPC, professor Singh said, insists that the actor portraying the character of the Sikh general should be a sabat surat (a Sikh who has not shorn his hair), and absorb the true essence of a Sikh before playing the role.
The professor said the SGPC also should come out with clear guidelines and a set of do's and don'ts for filmmakers undertaking projects on Sikh religion. 'Even filmmakers with good intentions tend to confuse the Sikh way of life with the Punjabi way of life which are completely different.'
'This is something which was discussed way back in 2000 during a meeting of the Dharam Parchar Committee (of SGPC) of which I was also a part. But nothing much has come out since then,' he said.
'SGPC has to respect sentiments'
Professor Dharam Singh, formerly with Punjabi University, Patiala, who had authored the Encyclopedia of Sikhism, told ThePrint that the SGPC had become overly strict in extending the ban of not allowing personification of the Sikh gurus and their families.
'The SGPC had itself promoted in a big way the animated film on the chaar sahibzaade. It led to educating youngsters about the sacrifices of the Sikh gurus. However, over the years as more and more Sikhs are objecting to the depiction of the gurus' families, the SGPC has to respect that feeling,' said professor Singh.
The principal objection to a human being representing the guru in a film is that someone who plays him cannot be like him. 'He will be an actor who will go on to play other roles as well. Hence the complete ban on an actor playing the Guru is absolutely justified,' he added.
On Monday, the SGPC, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP had demanded an immediate takedown of the video and criminal action against Rathee.
'Such portrayals violate Sikh principles and traditions…This YouTuber has acted against the tenets of Sikhism,' said SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami in a press statement.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said, 'Such portrayals violate Sikh 'rehat maryada' which prohibits visual representations of Guru Sahiban. It has deeply hurt the sentiments of the community.' He also alleged that the 'misleading narrative' in Rathee's video titled 'The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals', and the want of respectful language, has further aggravated the issue.
In a post on X, Badal urged all content creators to exercise utmost caution and sensitivity while dealing with Guru Sahiban or Sikh history.
Delhi cabinet minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said a complaint had been forwarded by the DSGMC to the police.
DSGMC files a complaint with Cyber Crime Cell against Dhruv Rathee for his video that spreads historical inaccuracies and distorts key facts about Sikh history; particularly the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and the legacy of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji.
Such… pic.twitter.com/e2S6n3Ct85
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 19, 2025
DSGMC chief HS Kalka said the video spreads historical inaccuracies and distorts key facts about Sikh history, 'particularly the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and the legacy of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji'.
'Such misrepresentations are misleading, disrespectful, and unacceptable,' he added.
DSGMC strongly condemns YouTuber Dhruv Rathee's video titled 'The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals', in which he has irresponsibly used AI-generated visuals to depict the revered Sikh Gurus. This act is not only culturally insensitive but deeply offensive to Sikh sentiments… pic.twitter.com/gnSgcHCO3i
— Harmeet Singh Kalka (@hskalka) May 19, 2025
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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