Just as the controversy over Udta Punjab is beginning to die down, another Hindi film is facing political opposition in parts of western Uttar Pradesh.
BJP legislator Sangeet Som wants two district administrations to ban Shorgul , a film based on the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013. Mr. Som, an accused in the riots, told The Hindu that the film “is basically a conspiracy of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party against me.
“They are trying to defame me. The district administration of Muzaffarnagar and Meerut should ban it. Otherwise, I will be forced to take action,” Mr. Som said.
The film, featuring Jimmy Shergill and Ashutosh Rana in lead roles, is about a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl who fall in love. But the issue takes on a political hue and leads to unrest.
Petition dismissed
The VHP had last month moved the Allahabad High Court seeking a ban on the film. Milan Som of the VHP, who filed the petition, told The Hindu that a character in the film, Ranjit Som, played by Jimmy Shergill, resembled Sangeet Som.
He claimed that the film showed Mr. Som in a bad light and said it would adversely affect social harmony. But the petition was dismissed.
Sensitive towns
Though the film has not been officially banned, theatres are unlikely to screen it for fear of angering the BJP MLA and his supporters. The “sensitive” towns where the film faces an unofficial ban are Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Kandhla and Kairana.
Court promises security
Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Dinesh Singh, however, said security would be provided to theatres that wanted to run the film.
Shorgul is not the first film on the riots to face opposition. Earlier, En Dino Muzaffarnagar , a documentary made by the late Shubhradeep Chakravorty and Meera Chaudhary, did not get official permission for release, despite a two-year battle with the CBFC.
