Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Pathaan’ has been embroiled in controversy ever since its first song Besharam Rang was released. Several political and religious groups raised objections to Deepika wearing a saffron bikini in the song and demanded to stop the release of the film. As Pathaan hit the theatres on January 25, the early shows of the film got cancelled in Indore due to protests by Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch.
As per the report in the news agency PTI, members of Bajrang Dal and Jagran Manch staged a protest outside Sapna-Sangeeta cinema hall with saffron flags. The eyewitnesses revealed that the protestors entered the premises of cinema halls and asked the audience to move out saying they won’t let the film be screened. The protestors created a ruckus in the cinema halls. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dishesh Agrawal told PTI, “Activists of the Hindu Jagran Manch and Bajrang Dal have been protesting against the film Pathaan. Hence, some of its morning shows were cancelled.” ALSO READ: Pathaan Controversy; Deepika Padukone’s Shots Of Buttocks And Partial Nudity Pose REMOVED From ‘Besharam Rang’-Report
Weeks before the release of Pathaan, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) suggested several changes to SRK starrer actioner which included the close-up shots of Deepika’s buttocks, her side pose shots in a gold swimsuit, and visuals of her sensuous dance movements from ‘Besharam Rang.’ Talking about the cuts, CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi said in a statement, “Pathaan went through the due and through examining process as per the CBFC guidelines. The committee has guided the makers to implement the advised changes in the film including the songs and submit the revised version prior to theatrical release. CBFC is always committed to find the right balance between creative expression and sensibility of the audience and believe that we can always find solution through meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders.”
Directed by Siddharth Anand, ‘Pathaan’ marked Shah Rukh's comeback after four years and featured Salman Khan in a special cameo appearance.
