Post Padmaavat, VHP warns against screening of Loveratri

In a feeling that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali might be all too familiar with, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday declared that they would not allow Loveratri, produced by Salman Khan, to be screened in theatres as it 'distorts the meaning of a Hindu festival' and might 'affect Hindu sentiments'.

VHP's international working president, Alok Kumar, said, "We will not allow its exhibition in cinema halls in the country. We don't want the sentiments of Hindus to be hurt."

Navratri refers to the nine-day Hindu festival in October, that celebrates the nine forms of the Hindu goddess, Durga.

In a statement to PTI, Kumar said, "The film is set against the backdrop of Navratri, a Hindu festival, and the name distorts its meaning."

Loveratri is produced by Salman Khan Films, and will star his brother-in-law, Aayush Sharma and debutante Warina Hussain. The film is set to be released on 5 October, and is set in Gujarat. The film will be directed by Abhiraj Minawala, who has been assistant on several Salman's films like Sultan (2016) and Tubelight (2017).

In 2017, Bhansali faced violent protests by political parties across North India for his film Padmaavat (2018). The director was assaulted, and his sets vandalised. The protests even took the form of violent riots in several parts as political parties threatened violence if the film was released. Bhansali had to undertake a change in name, and some modifications to the script on the request of the protestors and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).