KEDARNATH, A Film About Inter-faith Love cum pilgrimage, Banned In Uttarakhand Following Protest by Hindu Community

BOLLYWOOD movie titled Kedarnath, a shrine located at 11,755 ft above sea level in the Garhwal Himalayas, has been banned by the Uttarakhand   Government after several Hindu leaders allege that it promotes love Jihad. The film is not about the holy Himalayan shrine. It is a story about a Muslim porter and a Hindu girl who is on a pilgrimage to more than 2,000 years old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Producers say that Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan, 25, daughter of Saif Ali Khan and his first wife Amrita Singh starrer film is a cocktail of love and religion, of passion and spirituality set on a 14-kilometer pilgrimage from Gauri Kund to Kedarnath .The porter helps pilgrims make an arduous journey to the temple town in Rudraprayag in the Himalayan State. The porter’s life undergoes a sea-change after meeting the beautiful and rebellious and spirited Mandakini aka Mukku, daughter of a priest. She is engaged to one guy called Kullu. Kullu gets Mansoor thrashed and humiliated, even as Mandakini’s father supports Kullu. Destiny has plans for lovers amidst the uncertainties of life, nature, and broken hearts. Kedarnath is near Mandakini River and   extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between end of April and November. Screening of Kedarnath has been banned in 7 districts of Uttarakhand following protest by Hindu outfits.  ADG (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar told media there will be no screening of the film in seven out of a total of 13  districts of the state where Hindu outfits have protested against the film burning effigies of film-makers. The districts where the film has been banned are Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, Tehri and Almora. The film is against the backdrop of the 2013 deluge which devastated the region. Those seeking a ban on the film accused it of hurting Hindu sentiments and alleged that it was promoting love jihad. The Star cast of Abhishek Kapoor directed Kedarnath comprises Sushant Singh Rajput as Mansoor, a Muslim porter/pithoo at Kedarnath. Sara Ali Khan as Mukku, a wealthy Hindu girl on a pilgrimage.

Nitish Bharadwaj,Alka Amin, Sonali Sachdev,Pooja Gor,Nishant Dahiya. The film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala of RSVP Movies and Abhishek Kapoor of Guy in the Sky Pictures, along with Pragya Kapoor and Abhishek Nayyar. It is co-written by Kapoor with Kanika Dhillon. The film’s production began in June 2017, and principal photography commenced on 5 September 2017.Meanwhile, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh has tweeted: On the opening day, the Abhishek Kapoor-directed film collected Rs. 7.25 crore. “Kedarnath takes a healthy start. Business picked up during the course of the day… Saturday and Sunday business crucial… Friday Rs. 7.25 crore (India business),” Taran Adarsh further said. However, Kedarnath has not been able to steal the thunder from Rajinikanth’s 2.0 which hit the screens last week, said another film trade  analyst.