Karni Sena seeks ban on Akshay's Prithviraj for 'wrong and vulgar' portrayal of emperor

Karni Sena sought a ban on the release of Akshay Kumar's upcoming movie Prithviraj, alleging it was presenting a 'wrong and vulgar' picture of Prithviraj, a Hindu emperor, and hence it hurt sentiments. After the 2017 protest against Padmaavat, this is the second time that the Karni Sena is opposing the release of a film.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has asked the Central government, whether the Censor Board has granted a certificate for the release of superstar Akshay Kumar's upcoming movie Prithviraj. The court order came on Thursday on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the release of the film. The court has fixed the case for hearing in the week commencing February 21.

A bench comprising Justice A.R. Masoodi and Justice N.K. Jauhri passed the order on the PIL moved by Karni Sena's vice president Sangeeta Singh. The petition sought a ban on the release of the movie, alleging it was presenting a 'wrong and vulgar' picture of Prithviraj, a Hindu emperor, and hence it hurt sentiments. The petitioner said the preview of the movie itself shows that it is controversial.

READ |Gujjar Samaj protests against release of 'Prithviraj' in Haridwar

This is the second time that the Karni Sena is opposing the release of a film. In 2017, the Karni Sena had mounted a strong protest against Padmavati, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone. The nationwide protests forced a delay in the film's release and also made the makers change the title to Padmavat from Padmavati.

(With agency inputs)