NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) – Right-wing Hindu groups in India stepped up protests on Wednesday against the release of a controversial Bollywood film, as several states boosted police patrols a day after the Supreme Court refused to allow bans on the movie.

 

Policemen stand guard as a cinema goer arrives to watch Bollywood movie “Padmaavat” at a theater in Mumbai, India January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

Groups critical of the film, set to be released on Thursday, have accused its director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, of distorting history by portraying a Muslim ruler as the “lover” of the Hindu Queen Padmavati of the Rajput warrior clan.

The filmmakers deny the accusation.

Violence over the film, “Padmaavat”, reached the outskirts of India’s capital just as New Delhi began to receive southeast Asian leaders for a major summit on Thursday, to be followed the next day by a parade and celebrations of India’s Republic Day.

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