Even as the Hindi film Jodhaa Akbar evoked some protests across the nation, an Urdu/Hindi movie on Islam -- Al Risalah -- has raised the hackles of Muslims in Hyderabad.
The screening of Al Risalah at Ramakrishna 70mm theatre, owned by the family members of matinee idol and Telugu Desam Party founder late N T Rama Rao, has been stopped for the time being, on instructions from the Hyderabad City Police, following objections raised by Muslim religious groups.
As the film was set for release in Hyderabad on Friday, protestors from Tanzeem Islah-e-Muashira gathered at the theatre and demanded that the screening be stopped.
They said that even if Islamic countries gave a clean chit to the movie, the Muslims of Hyderabad would not tolerate such movies.
The posters stuck on the walls of the theatre were also removed by the theatre management.
The police had made elaborate bandobust around the theatre complex.
Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, raising the issue in the State Legislative Assembly, sought a ban on screening of the movie which, he contended, had portrayed Islam in a bad light.
Home Minister K Jana Reddy promised to study the contents of the movie and assured that its screening would be deferred till the Muslim religious and political leaders saw it and cleared it.
The dubbed version of Al Risalah -- originally made in English as The Message and in Arabic as Al-Risalah by Oscar-nominated Egyptian director Moustapha Akkad in 1976 -- is produced by Saad Ahmed and Yamshi Ahmed.
It has music by A R Rahman, who also sings the popular song Marhaba Mustapha.
"The film presents a balanced image of Islam and encapsulates the times and teachings of Prophet of Islam. It has no objectionable scenes. However, we are ready to cut out scenes that offended anyone," a spokesman of the distributor said.
