Source: Reuters
BY Suchitra Mohanty, Shilpa Jamkhandikar
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected bids by two states to reinstate a ban on the disputed Bollywood film “Padmaavat”, saying it stood by its previous ruling clearing the way for the movie to be shown in theaters.
Demonstrators shout slogans outside a multiplex during a protest against the release of the upcoming Bollywood movie “Padmaavat” in Ahmedabad, India, January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Amit Dave
Street protests against the film turned increasingly violent late on Tuesday with reports of vandalism around a number of multiplexes in the western state of Gujarat.
Groups critical of the project have accused its director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, of distorting history by portraying a Muslim ruler as the “lover” of Queen Padmavati of the Hindu Rajput warrior clan. The filmmakers deny the accusation.
A fire department official said protesters had burnt dozens of two-wheelers and smashed a number of car and shop windows in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Tuesday night.