FILMI FUNDA: MP Govt says the film was banned as it did not want to hurt any community.

ibnlive.com New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh woke up to the Jodhaa Akbar controversy on Friday and banned the film for allegedly hurting the sentiment of the Rajputs. The move came one week after its release in the state.

“People were protesting against this film in some places. We have not banned the film. But due to threats to internal peace, we have temporarily halted the screening of the film in the state. We are monitoring the situation and will take a decision accordingly,” MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said.

There have been sporadic protests against the film and a boycott in Rajasthan over its alleged factual accuracy. The Madhya Pradesh Government said it imposed the ban on the film as it did not want to hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community.

The ban came close on the heels of a protest by the Kshatriya Samaaj in Indore. The screening of Jodhaa Akbar was earlier banned in the district of Ambala.

The film is fighting an epic battle with its critics as well.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker reiterated that his film does not aim to dishonour or hurt the feelings of any community.

“If we have a Rajput lobby that has reservations about the name, I empathise with them because I went through the same thing. At the start of the film, I have given a disclaimer which says that there are several names but I am using Jodhaa because it is the most popular name,” he says.

Gowariker says the confusion has arisen from the history books. “The more the History books, the more different names that are being attributed to Raja Bharmal’s daughter. There are several names. So, when I started my research even I was quite taken aback that no historian meets eye to eye because each historian does his own interpretation and analysis and presents history.”

The filmmaker also pointed out that there are six different names going for that princess and there are at least three who call her Jodhaa Bai.

“And on the other hand, you have someone like Satish Chandra saab who has written Medieval India, which is the book that everyone in Rajasthan is referring to. He talks about the daughter of Udai Singh, also known as Mota Raja, who was given to Jehangir. Now, he mentions that her name is Jagat Gosain. I also think that there is a difference between Jodh Bai and Jodhaa Bai. So the confusion is within the history books.”

On Thursday, the Bihar government authorities had banned the movie in the district of Gopalganj in the face of protests by some saffron outfits.

Related posts:

1. Now, Jodhaa Akbar banned in Uttar Pradesh (UP)
2. Surprise Surprise - Jodhaa Akbar Collects 24.75 Crore In Week One
3. Jodhaa Akbar Finally In Rajasthan
4. Jodhaa Akbar controversy: Hrithik, Ash react
5. Filmi Fiscal: Jodhaa Akbar is a superhit