THE Maharashtra Government has urged the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to direct the censor board to re-examine the clearance certificate issued to Marathi film ‘Khalid Ka Shivaji’ and halt its release, slated for August 8, till a decision is taken on its request. The request has been made in a letter dated August 6 sent to the I&B Secretary by Maharashtra Culture Secretary Kiran Kulkarni and comes amidst claims by right-wing organisations that the movie distorts the history of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

 

There is apprehension that exhibition of the film in its present form may lead to law and order problems, according to the letter. The letter said the Government received a written complaint on August 5 from (right-wing activist) Nilesh Bhise, who after viewing the film’s trailer, alleged certain dialogues in the film are factually incorrect and likely to hurt public sentiments. Protests were staged by a group of people during the recent state film awards function in Mumbai demanding a ban on the movie or deletion of controversial dialogues. The letter urged the I&B Ministry to direct the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-examine the certificate issued for the film and keep its exhibition in abeyance until a decision is taken after re-examination. CBFC, a statutory body under the I&B Ministry, regulates the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.