Royal romance film opens to protests in Jodhpur
A lavish film about the love between a Muslim emperor and his Hindu wife, played by top Bollywood's most glamorous star Aishwarya Rai, has opened in to angry protests.
By Agencies |
JODHPUR: A lavish film about the love between a Muslim emperor and his Hindu wife, played by top Bollywood's most glamorous star Aishwarya Rai, has opened in to angry protests.
Cinemas in western Rajasthan state have refused to show "Jodhaa Akbar" after threats from the region's Rajput community, which says the historical romance is grossly inaccurate.
The film depicts a romance between the 16th century Mughal ruler Akbar and Rajput princess Jodha Bai but Rajputs and many historians say Jodha Bai was in fact Akbar's daughter-in-law.
"We will not allow the film to run unless the director makes a public apology," Lokendra Kalvi, the chief of a Rajput group, told the media.
Former Miss World Rai portrays Jodha, while Akbar is played by Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan.
"Jodhaa Akbar" is Rai's first film since her high-profile marriage to actor Abhishek Bachchan, the son of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.
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The prolific Bollywood film industry famed for its sexually suggestive song-and-dance routines is no stranger to controversy in a country known for its chaste public behaviour. Last year Rai was summoned to court to respond to complaints that her last big production, "Dhoom-II," included an "obscene" kissing scene between her and Roshan.
That controversy came after another court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood star Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty, after Gere enthusiastically kissed the actress on the cheek at an HIV/AIDS awareness show.
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