The screening of the Marathi movie “Har Har Mahadev” was stalled in separate incidents in Pune and Thane in Maharashtra over the “distortion of history”. In Pune city, the show was disrupted by members of a Maratha outfit while in Thane, NCP leader and former minister Jitendra Awhad allegedly led activists to stall the night screening of the movie at a multiplex. Now, a case has been registered against Awhad and hundreds of workers.
A case has been registered at Vartaknagar police station under sections 141,143,146,149,323,504 of IPC and section 37/135 of Mumbai Police for assaulting a film audience by forcibly closing the show of Har Har Mahadev film in Thane mall last night.
Following this, the film director Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande is holding a press conference on November 8 as makers feel that it not ethical to disturb the audience by going to the theatre.
Directed by Deshpande, Har Har Mahadev Sharad Kelkar-starrer is inspired by the true story of Maratha commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande’s legendary rear guard battle that enabled Shivaji’s escape from the Sinhala Fort. Kelkar essays the role of the commander in the film.
On November 7, former Rajya Sabha member and Kolhapur royal family scion Sambhaji Chhatrapati had warned that if facts are found distorted in any upcoming films based on legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he would oppose such movies and take all efforts to stall their release.
Sambhaji Chhatrapati, who is a descendent of Shivaji Maharaj, had also expressed displeasure over the Marathi films ‘Har Har Mahadev’ (released recently) and ‘Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat’ (an upcoming project).