After Aamir Khan's "PK", Telugu movie "Gopala Gopala" starring Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh is facing the wrath of Hindu outfits, who have urged the Censor Board not to clear the film.
"Gopala Gopala", which recently completed its production, is gearing up to release in theatres across the globe on 9 January. The makers of the movie have reportedly planned to arrange a special screening of the film for officials of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
After watching the teaser of "Gopala Gopala", the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) reportedly submitted an appeal to the regional director of CBFC on 31 December 2014.
The outfits have claimed that the film had "objectionable" scenes, which hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and therefore should not be cleared by the CBFC.
R Shashidhar, secretary of BGUS said that they have sought action before the release of the movie as any protest later will be futile. "It has become a habit of some filmmakers to hurt religious sentiments to get some publicity for their movies," he told IANS.
"Gopala Gopala" is the Telugu remake of controversial Bollywood film "OMG! Oh My God".
The Hindi film featuring Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal in the lead roles is about an atheist, who sues gods of all religions after he fails to get insurance money for his shop destroyed in an earthquake. The movie is a satire on all religions and criticises looting in the name of god.
"Gopala Gopala" has been produced by Venkatesh's brother Suresh Babu and Pawan Kalyan's friend Sharat Marrar. When asked about the Hindu outfits' move, Suresh Babu said that his film does not have any scenes that hurt any religious sentiments.
"The film has already been made in Hindi and was cleared by the Censor Board. We are making the same film and we are taking utmost care to ensure that no religious sentiments are hurt." Deccan Chronicle quoted the producer as saying. "The film is about how to love God and not fear Him. I don't think that there is any controversy in it," he added.
