Jodhaa Akbar's screening sparks violence in UP capital

Lucknow, Feb 15 (UNI) Akhil Bharatiya Chatriya Mahasabha staged strident protests against the Oscar-nominated Lagaan's director Ashutosh Gowarikar's magnum opus 'Jodhaa Akbar' in the Uttar Pradesh capital today.

Ranting anti-Jodhaa Akbar slogans, the mob demonstrated outside the Novelty Cinema hall.

However, the agitation did not affect the exhibition of Jodhaa Akbar, which opened on 1,500 screens in 26 countries today and attempts to look at an aspect of life of the Mughal King Akbar earlier not touched upon in history books.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, police arrested scores of agitators.

'Jodhaa Akbar' had been in the throes of a controversy with the Rajput Karni Sena calling for a ban on the much awaited period film across the country for its distortion of history.

In several press statements in various parts of the country over last few weeks, the Rajput Karni Sena threatened not to allow the screening of 'Jodhaa Akbar' across the country, especially in theatres in Rajasthan.

''Jodhaa Akbar is an example of a film ''distorting historical facts under the garb of magnificent production values and elaborate sets. Showing Akbar and Jodhabai as husband-wife, when in reality she was the better half of Akbar's father Jahangir not only constitutes a careless tampering with history by the filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar, but also a gross violation of Indian traditions and social values,'' they had charged.

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