| Behzti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti |
| Characters | Min, Balbir, Mr Sandhu, Polly Dhodhar, Teetee Parmar, Elvis |
| Date premiered | 18 December 2004 |
| Place premiered | Birmingham, England |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Black comedy, drama |
Behzti (Punjabi ਬੇਇੱਜ਼ਤੀ, Dishonour) is a play written by the British Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. The play sparked controversy in the United Kingdom in December 2004. A controversial scene set in a Gurdwara (Sikh temple) included scenes of rape, physical abuse and murder, with some members of the Sikh community finding the play deeply offensive to their faith. On the opening night, 18 December 2004, at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The Rep), in Birmingham, England, a protest was organised by local Sikh leaders which turned violent, with the Rep cancelling performances of the play two days later. The case became part of a wider discussion in Britain about the limits of free speech and whether this can be curtailed where it offends the faith of religious groups.