Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad seek ban on SRK’s Raees in Gujarat

A still from the film.

‘Raees’ grossed over a whopping 20 crore rupees approximately on its opening day.

Mumbai: In a fresh leg of controversy, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Gujarat unit of Shiv Sena have sought a blanket ban on Shah Rukh Khan’s latest release ‘Raees,’ with claims stating that the film glorifies and validates the real life criminal Abdul Latif, on whose life the film is reportedly based.

Rashtra Sena, a low-key outfit has been clustering Surat with banners with slogans against the superstar and the film.
“India had so many great personalities on whom you can make a movie. But Khan chose Abdul Latif, who was a dreaded criminal, bootlegger and a mafia don. Khan claimed the movie is based on fictional character but everyone knows that Raees is based on Latif. Government should ban this movie, as it indulges in hero-worshipping of mafia dons,” Hindu quotes VHP leader Rancchod Bharwad as saying.

He also lambasted the actor for casting Pakistani actress Mahira Khan as the leading lady, claiming she’s been making anti-India comments after returning to Pakistan.

Bharwad was referring to a video from 2011 that had gone viral on the internet recently.

He also didn’t hesitate from holding Shah Rukh responsible for the death of an individual during a stampede caused in Vadodara, during his recent promotional train journey.

The Gujarat unit of Shiv Sena also approached the state BJP government, seeking a ban on the film, citing the plausibility of the ‘glorification’ of a bootlegger encouraging other anti-social elements to follow suit.

Shiv Sena leader Ashok Sharma said, “Instead of highlighting police officers who tamed Latif, the makers have projected Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Latif as a hero of the masses.”

Earlier, the screening of the film had been stalled in Dombivli, a suburb in Mumbai, by hooligans, who also vandalised posters of the film inside the theatre premises.

The group had cited the same reasons as their grouse.

‘Raees,’ which released alongside Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Kaabil,’ grossed over a whopping 20 crore rupees approximately on its opening day.

Source: Deccan Chronicle