Hindu group wants ‘insulting’ song removed from Deool

After screenings at international film festivals, including the Mumbai festival last month, Marathi film Deool (Temple) has drawn the ire of Hindu right wing activists. They have registered a complaint with the Censor Board demanding a song in the film, allegedly insulting a Hindu deity, be deleted before the film's release on Friday.

"We are demanding that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cancel the film's certification or at least delete the denigrating song before its release," said Shivaji Vatkar, Mumbai and Thane coordinator for the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. He added that the organisation will undertake constitutional means of protest, including roping in the support of the several thousand Datta Bhagwan temples in the state and requesting all Maharashtrians to boycott the film. Vatkar claimed the song Phoda Datta Naam insults the deity Datta.

Vatkar and others from the Samiti met Jitendra Pratap Singh, regional officer of the CBFC in Mumbai, on Wednesday and handed over a protest letter. Vatkar said they will file a police complaint after watching the film on Friday. "The song has remixed and rock music, and filthy words. It is a horrible song," said Vatkar. "We are sure there will be a 100 per cent boycott of the film."

Producer Abhijeep Gholap said the protest against the song is misled as the film is in fact a satire on the commodification of faith. "The song is a call against those who use the name of god to promote their business. Not only has the Censor Board passed the film, many dignitaries who watched it over the past two days said there is nothing objectionable in it," Gholap said. The timing of the protest — days before the mega release of the film with a rare 375 daily shows across Maharashtra — is unfortunate, he added.

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