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Aamir Khan's Controversial Religious Satire is Loved and Loathed in India

"Hindu groups have filed cases against the films"

Outside a jam-packed Cinema hall in New Delhi dozens of activists from the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal are protesting against the film being show inside—“PK”

They burn an effigy of the famous Bollywood actor Aamir khan who the lead actor in the film.

Vikas Sharma is among them: “He has insulted our gods and goddesses, Hindus will not tolerate this, we won’t allow this film to run anywhere in the country, we will attack it everywhere until it is banned.”

Similar protests have taken place in other states and some cinemas have been severely damaged.

The film tells the story of an alien who comes to earth on a research mission and is unable to return to his home planet after the remote control of his spaceship is stolen.

While searching for the device everyone he meets tells him that only God could help him find it.

So he embarks on a journey to find God and in the process comes across various practices, dogmas and superstitions associated with religion, and starts questioning them.

He finds out that most people who claim that they know God and can help others reach Him are actually tricking the masses and leading them astray.

Hindu Religious leader Swaroopanand Saraswati said he feels deeply offended that a muslim actor finding fault with his faith.

“How can a person who doesn’t know anything about our religion make a film about it. Muslims don’t need to bother about that, they have no right,” said Saraswati.

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev said it is double standards.  

 “People think ten times before making any comment about Christianity of Islam but when it comes to Hinduism, it’s free for all,” said Baba Ramdev.

Hindu groups have filed cases against the films’ cast and crew in the courts accusing them of blasphemy.

But most people associated with film including the producer and director, are Hindus themselves and have strongly rejected the charges.

Parikshit Sahni is a veteran actor and plays an important role in the film.

 “I’m myself a deeply religious person and a practicing Hindu. I wouldn’t have taken part in the film if there have been anything offensive in it. I think the people who are opposing the film have either not seen it or didn’t understood it. It is against those so-called god men and Gurus who mislead people in the name of religion and we have quite a lot of them and some of them are behind bars facing charges as serious as rape,” explained Parikshit Sahni.

The controversial has given lots of free publicity to the people and people are rushing to see it.

Businessman Sahil khanna loved it: “Finally a film that looks at some of the important issues of our time.”

Two states have so far declared the film tax-free making it cheaper for people to watch it.  Others are set to do the same.

The board of Film Certification has rejected the Hindu groups’ demand to review the film and make cuts.

The board says the film has been cleared following the due process and the members did not find anything wrong with the content.

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