Right-wing group stalls screening of 'Kedarnath' in UP theatre

A right-wing group disrupted the screening of Bollywood film 'Kedarnath' at a cinema hall in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district on Tuesday and raised slogans against its director, Abhishek Kapoor, police said.

The activists of the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), which is affiliated to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), gathered at the Vishal cinema hall and sat on a dharna after locking its gates in the morning.

HJM state secretary Akash Saxena claimed that the film aimed at sending a "wrong message" and had "hurt the sentiments" of the Hindus.

After the protests, the administration and the cinema hall management stalled the screening. "We were not aware of any dispute over the film, but after today's protest, we are stopping its screening," the manager of the cinema hall, Aslam, said.

Security has been deployed around the cinema hall and the situation is fully under control, the police said.

'Kedarnath' tells an interfaith love story between a wealthy Hindu girl and a Muslim youth near the historic Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand. The film has been banned in some districts of Uttarakhand.