Madhuri's comeback film runs into trouble in Mayawati's state

Even as positive reports trickled in for Madhuri Dixit's Aaja Nachle, the film was slapped with a total ban in Uttar Pradesh and in the National Capital Region of Noida. Chief Minsiter Mayawati said, the ban was in keeping with the sentiments of the various dalit groups that found certain languages and lyrics in the film objectionable. There were also reports that Mayawati has requested the Prime Minister to impose a ban on the film all over the country.

The Punjab chief minister has also imposed a ban on the film not wanting to fan communal tensions.

Reacting to the news, Yash Chopra, Chairman, Yash Raj Films rendered an unconditional apology, "It was not our intention to hurt the feelings of any individual or community of our great nation. If we have inadvertently hurt the sentiments of anybody I apologise for the same and have taken immediate remedial action by deleting the line from the prints of Aaja Nachle from all over the country. This line has been deleted in all the theatres today."

So far, members of the Indian Justice Party staged protests outside some theatres in Delhi. There were protests in Lucknow as well. Director Anil Mehta appeared on certain TV channels, apologising for any grief caused to any section of society, inadvertently. Though he expressed surprise at why the Censor Board did not find the dialogues or lyrics objectionable. However he offered to remove the objectionable words from the film, while lyricist Piyush Mishra too offered to remove controversial words from the lyrics. He also requested Mayawati to watch the film first before pressing on for a nation-wide ban on the film.

Buzz18