Kedarnath row: Sara Ali Khan-starrer banned in 7 districts of Uttarakhand

After Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat invited the wrath of Hindu extremist groups earlier this year, Sara Ali Khan starrer Kedarnath is Bollywood’s latest offering that has enraged far-right groups in the country who have unanimously called for a ban on the film  citing the glorification of love-jihad in the movie reportedly.

The district magistrates of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar on Thursday imposed a ban on the movie; however the state government has not announced an official ban as yet.

The magistrates reached the decision in fear of protestors disrupting peace if Kedarnath gets released in cinemas across the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

According to Hindustan Times, the Uttarakhand High Court refused to interfere in the matter, rejecting a PIL seeking a ban on the film.

The matter was then looked after during a meeting headed by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat after a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj submitted a report in this regard. The committee decided not to ban the film after examining closely all objections raised.

However, it left the decision to the district magistrates to allow or ban the screening of the movie depending on the situation in their respective areas.

The Abhishek Kapoor directorial found itself in hot waters as it reportedly got accused of upsetting Hindu sentiments by projecting love-jihad.

Kedarnath is said to have been set against the backdrop of 2013 floods that led a Muslim porter (played by Sushant Singh Rajput) and a Hindu girl pilgrimage (palyed by Sara Ali Khan) falling in love with each other.

The movie, that marks Saif Ali Khan’s daughter Sara Ali Khan’s debut in the Hindi film fraternity, released Friday. The audience and critics have commended the star child to have delivered an exceptional performance in the film.