Spotlight: Protests against Bollywood movie continue despite clearance from India's top court

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Violent protests by members of fringe groups in India Monday continued to oppose the screening of controversial Bollywood Hindi movie "Padmaavat," despite Supreme Court's order allowing its release.

The protests are going on in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana for the past several days.

In Rajasthan's capital city Jaipur, protesters from Rajput community Monday threatened cinema owners against screening of the film.

"We are confident that no cinema hall will screen the film and if someone does they should be ready to bear the consequences," a local leader told media. "It is up to cinema owners to consider it a warning or request."

In southern Bhilwara town, reports said a youth has climbed a 350-feet-tall mobile telephone tower with a bottle of petrol threatening to burn himself if "Padmaavat" film is not banned in the country.

On Sunday, hundreds of women brandishing swords took out a warning march in the state's Chittorgarh town and threatened to commit suicide en mass by jumping in the fire if the movie was screened in the state's cinema halls.

In Gujarat, agitators on Sunday damaged and blocked roads to oppose the film's release.

The film "Padmaavat" is scheduled to release all over India on Thursday. It is based on the legend of Queen Rani Padmini of Chittor and Rajput groups. Protesters say the film wrongly showcases a romantic relationship between the queen and Muslim emperor Alauddin Khilji.

Famous Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is playing the role of queen Padmini.

The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has been at the center of a huge controversy with the fringe group claiming to represent the Rajput caste accusing him of distortion of history in the movie.

Bhansali has repeatedly denied the allegations and recently released a video clarifying that his film does not distort history.

The film ran into trouble ever since its shooting. Its sets were vandalised twice and Bhansali was also attacked during one such shoot.

Four local governments from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh decided to impose a ban on the film citing law and order problems. However the film makers challenged it at the country's apex court, following which the court overturned the ban. Enditem