CDs of Deepa Mehta's 'Water' burnt by Shiv Sainiks

Varanasi, May 23 (UNI) Shiv Sena activists today burnt CDs of Deepa Mehta's controversial film 'Water', whose shooting was stalled by the saffron outfits here in 2000.

The Sainiks led by district president Gulshan Kapoor assembled at Luxa crossing this afternoon and burnt pirated CDs of 'Water', being sold in the grey market at Rs 20.

Addressing a public meeting, Mr Kapoor said Deepa Mehta's film portraying the plight of widows denigrated the Hindu culture and hence its shooting was stalled in 2000.

''Mehta shot the film in Sri Lanka and intentionally used the grey market to link with the people, without even having the release order for the film from concerned authority,'' he alleged.

Mr Kapoor further said if small time CD sellers in Dalmandi and other areas did not stop selling its CD, ''we will be compelled to take the legal route to get them punished.'' Shiv Sainiks also cautioned that any future release order facilitating the film's screeening in cinema houses will also be stalled.

BJP, RSS, Shiv Sena and the newly formed Kashi Sanskriti Raksha Sanghursh Samiti (KSRSS) had staged massive protests against the film's shooting in Varanasi in 2000.

They had even attacked the film crew that included Deepa Mehta, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das.

The saffronites had burnt the set of the film at Assi Ghat and one of them even made an abortive suicide bid by jumping in river Ganga after consuming poison.

The film crew had to finally leave the holy city. Later, it was shot in other countries including Sri Lanka.

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