Row Over Bishnoi Series Intensifies As Leaders Get Threat Calls (Image: X)
Lawrence Bishnoi: Threats against politicians and government officials regarding a movie and/or web series dedicated to a gangster called Bishnoi have resulted in increased tension across Punjab. Among politicians and other government officials who opposed the Lawrence of Punjab web series are the Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and opposition leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Bikram Singh Majithia, in addition to the Advocate General of Punjab.
Reportedly, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has sent these threats through foreign WhatsApp numbers. These messages were filled with threats of physical violence and said that there would be serious consequences if that movie/web series were to ever be released. Because of the serious nature of the threats sent to these politicians and other government officials, it was alarming for Punjab Police, resulting in an immediate investigation into this particular matter with Lawrence Bishnoi, along with the specific case of the film.
The controversy surrounding this issue intensified this week, when Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against this movie/web-series in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In addition, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav requested that the Punjab state government contact the Government of India to have the movie/web-series blocked.
The Ministry for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) became involved due to the series of events. I&B sent a letter to ZEE5 on Friday advising against the premiere of the series on April 27. In the advisory to ZEE5 it was made clear that OTT platforms should be very careful when producing content relating to any criminal, particularly when producing content which could be a potential cause for civil unrest like Bishnoi’s story.
The advisory from the Centre Health warned that OTT platforms must show caution and responsibility when producing biopics about criminals, and that as a result they should consider content that “incites violence or glorifies organised crime.” This concern was very much related to how Bishnoi is portrayed within the series.
The Punjab Police also communicated to the Centre regarding the use of both structured scenes and real-life footage of the gangster Bishnoi in the series. The officials expressed concern that the combination of the two “romanticizes gangster life.” It was also stated that this could inhibit law enforcement efforts currently underway, and potentially lead to the creation of tension or cognizable offences, and therefore disturb the current delicate situation of law and order in Punjab.
In defence against criticism, the producers explained that the show does not romanticize illegal behaviour and instead follows the evolution of a criminal personality through various forms of culture, social structure and visibility. They believe that Bishnoi’s character is portrayed as a case study connected to all four of these aspects (student politics, music, ideology and media amplification).
The departments and agencies involved in the case still have their own concerns with respect to the series. In particular, the October 2025 directive is tied to Public Interest Litigation (CWP-PIL-107-2026) currently before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the matter of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring versus the Union of India & Others. In the April 24, 2026 communication from the Ministry, they referenced previous communications that were sent to OTT (over-the-top) platforms regarding this issue, including an earlier advisory that the Ministry sent on October 27, 2025, which advised OTT providers to act with due diligence when releasing content relating to gangsters, like Bishnoi.
Punjab Police have indicated that the documentary includes recreations of actual events and actual video footage from real life, and as such may glamorize organized crime inadvertently. Inputs from the Punjab Police stated that this kind of representation of Bishnoi could have an impact on young people by making it seem normal for them to engage in criminal activity.
According to police officials in Punjab, they’re currently facing issues connected with gangsterism, and if this type of material is made available, it will also impact the peace of the general public and create unrest. Bishnoi, who is 33 years old, is presently imprisoned in a Gujarat jail and has many other criminal cases against him. He is also one of the actual killers of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, thus raising even further concerns about the programming.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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