Source: NDTV, Indo-Asian News Service
Date:February 29, 2008
The screening of the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer Jodhaa Akbar restarted in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. It was resumed three days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected the state government's order to ban the screening of the film, though temporarily. The court had ordered the government to lift the ban Tuesday. The movie was released on Feb 15, but banned in Madhya Pradesh on Feb 22 by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government following fears that it may cause a law and order problem as some members of the Rajput community was against the film's content. The community alleged that the film's director Ashutosh Gowariker presented Jodha Bai as Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar's wife, which they said was factually incorrect.
According to them, Jodha Bai was not the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber as shown in the film, but the daughter of Motaraja Udai Singh of Marwar. And she was married to Akbar's son Salim alias Jehangir. The state government ban on screening of the controversial film has boosted the sale of pirated version of the movie, a retailer said. The film's distributor for Madhya Pradesh is estimated to have suffered a loss of at least Rs 20 million since the ban was imposed. "The state government banned the legal trade as a consequence of which the illegal trade has got a boost," said Aditya Chouksey, Jodhaa-Akbar's distributor for Madhya Pradesh.
The state government too has suffered a loss of Rs 6 to 7 million on entertainment tax during the week since the screening of the film has been stopped. Pirated VCD/DVD vendors are estimated to have done business worth over Rs 10 million during the period. The Central Circuit Cine Association has also criticised the state government's assertion that screening of the movie was a threat to peace. The association pointed out that sporadic protests were held in many states and it was the duty of the government to provide security. The movie has so far been screened in 17 locations in the state and was originally scheduled for release in 50 locations.
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Source: Zee News
Date: February 26, 2008
Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered lifting of ban imposed on screening of the film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ in the state on Tuesday. UTV Motion Pictures along with the producers of `Jodhaa-Akbar`, on Saturday moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court to lift the ban on screening of the film in the state. The film was banned in Madhya Pradesh on February 22, after demonstrations against it by the Rajput community. Now, UTV and Ashutosh Gowariker have good reasons to feel happy.
The box-office performance of their co-production, `Jodhaa Akbar`, is also reported to be improving, particularly in Mumbai. Although the movie could not be released in Rajasthan due to protests by a section of the Rajput community there, its first week`s box-office performance in central India was quite encouraging. It is said to have mopped up a total of Rs 20.9 mn.
Sirsa Rajputs begin protest
Hundreds of activists of Rajput Pratinidhi Sabha of Sirsa on Tuesday staged a protest against ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ for distorting history and demanded a ban on its screening across the country. Led by its President Pooran Singh Rathor, the activists alleged Gowarikar had twisted historical facts in the film which has injured the sentiments of Rajputs all over the country. The protesters later went to the local mini- secretariat. Rathor also alleged the film "traumatises and insults the sentiments of the Yadav community by depicting their ancestor Veer Hemu in bad shape".