Jodhaa Akbar, Aishwarya Rai, and Getting Banned

Friday, February 22, 2008



While the movie 3 1/2 hour epic Jodhaa Akbar is getting some rave reviews by the likes of the NY Times, it seems the pic helmed by actress Aishwarya Rai (Bachchan) is also creating some protests - and getting banned - even though about 70% of the story is still fictionalized.

From the AFP:

An Indian state on Friday ordered cinema halls not to screen a controversial film featuring Bollywood's most glamorous star Aishwarya Rai after violent demonstrations.

Many people from India's Rajput community have staged angry protests over the depiction of a romance between Mughal king Akbar and a Hindu princess, saying the film has distorted history and shown their ancestors in poor light.

"The screening of the film has been suspended and not banned," Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of central Madhya Pradesh state told reporters in Bhopal.
"Jodhaa Akbar" -- said to be one of the most expensive Bollywood movies ever made -- depicts a romance between the 16th century Mughal ruler Akbar and Rajput princess Jodha Bai.

Check out the trailer below