Rajput group protests against 'Jodhaa Akbar'

Jaipur, Feb 10 (IANS) Activists of a Rajput organisation Sunday staged noisy demonstrations outside a cinema hall here, shouting slogans and brandishing swords, taking a stern stand against the screening of Ashutosh Gowariker's film "Jodhaa Akbar".

The Karni Sena has been spearheading a campaign against the film's release as its activists feel Gowariker has distorted facts in his magnum opus. The movie, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, is slated for release Feb 15.

"We will not allow the movie to be screened in Rajasthan," said B.S. Rundal, general secretary of Karni Sena.

"We will not allow anyone to distort historical facts," said Ajit Singh Mamdoli, another Karni Sena activist.

"Jodhaa Akbar" is about the romance of Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar and Rajput princess Jodhabai.

The Rajput organisation says that Gowariker is presenting Jodhabai as Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar's wife, which is factually incorrect.

According to them, Jodhabai was not daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber as shown in the film. The princess was the daughter of Motaraja Udai Singh of Marwar and she was married to Akbar's son Salim alias Jehangir. And Mughal king Shahjahan was her son, they say.

Narendra Singh Rajawat, head of the Rajput Sabha, said such distortion of historical facts had hurt the feelings of the Rajput community.

Karni Sena activists had Feb 2 adopted a Gandhian approach and had presented roses to cinema hall owners, asking then not to screen the film.

Many parts of the movie have been shot in and around Jaipur. And Gowariker is said to have consulted several eminent Mughal historians for this film.

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Jodhaa Akbar