The much-awaited teaser of Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Kedarnath was unveiled recently and it received appreciation from all corners. However, after the troubles the film went through, the Abhishek Kapoor directorial has once again created a stir for hurting the Hindu religious sentiments. Alleging that Kedarnath promotes love jihad, the teerth purohits (priests) in Uttarakhand’s Chardham have reportedly demanded a ban on the film.
As per a report in a leading daily, Vinod Shukla, chairman, Kedar Sabha, an organisation of the priests based in Kedarnath, has stated, "We will launch an agitation if the movie is not banned as we have been told that it hurts the Hindu religious sentiments by promoting love jihad." He also pointed out that how the priests had strongly protested against the film's "vulgar dance sequences".
For the uninitiated, Kedarnath is set against the background of the floods that hit Kedarnath in 2013, leaving thousands of people dead. It follows the story of Mansoor (Sushant), a Muslim Pithoo (porter), who falls in love with the beautiful and rebellious Mukku, a Hindu girl played by Sara.
Meanwhile Ajendra Ajay, a state BJP leader and part of Uttarakhand BJP’s media relations team, had also raised objections to the film’s poster that "shows the hero, a Muslim carrying the heroine, a Hindu in a palanquin with the Kedarnath shrine as the backdrop." He had further requested CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi to impose a ban on the film.
Kedarnath is slated to release on December 7, 2018.