Change the title, or face the consequences – this seems to be the new war cry against Hindi films. Barely weeks after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati was targeted by a religious group in Jaipur, it seems another prominent film is being readied to resist the wrath of the radicals. The film under the fundamentalists’ scrutiny is director Shashank Khaitan’s Varun Dhawan-Alia Bhatt starrer Badrinath Ki Dulhania, which has come under the radical radar. Very reliable sources reveal that the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has received a letter from a Hindu organisation saying that the film’s hero Varun Dhawan must not be named ‘Badrinath’.
The religious organisation argues that Badrinath is a place of pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi gather to pray. By mentioning Badrinath in such a flirty way, the holy place is being defiled and desecrated. Change the name to ‘Badri’ from ‘Badrinath’, is the command in the letter. Apparently the CBFC has informed the film’s producer Karan Johar of the demand. While Karan Johar was unavailable for comment, it is significant that this is the second time in three months that a film produced by Johar is being targeted. In November all hell broke loose when Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was targeted for Pakistani actor Fawad Khan being in its cast. Wonders a friend of Johar, “Now filmmakers needs to consult religious groups before naming characters in his films?!”
‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ is an upcoming Indian romantic comedy film, directed by Shashank Khaitan, and produced by Karan Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. Starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in the lead, the film marks the second instalment of a franchise that began with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014). The principal photography for the film began in May 2016, and the film is currently slated to release on March 10, 2017, on the Holi weekend.
