'Biopic' on Yogi shelved after BJP protest

A film, said to be a "biopic" on Yogi Adityanath, was shelved after the BJP and saffron leaders alleged that it was an attempt to "tarnish" the image of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and threatened to block its release.

Controversy erupted after the first poster of the movie 'Zila Gorakhpur' was released on Saturday. Gorakhpur is the home town of Adityanath.

The poster showed a saffron clad man, who had a pistol in his hands, seeing the rising Sun. In the background is seen a building, which the saffron leaders claimed resembled the Gorakhnath Temple of which Adityanath was the 'mahant' (head). A calf is also seen in the poster.

The BJP and saffron leaders claimed that the man resembled Adityanath though the director of the film Vinod Tiwari said that the movie was not a biopic. According to sources, the story of the film revolved around mob lynching.

"It is not only an attempt to malign Adityanath but also portray the Hindu culture and Nath sect (Adityanath belongs to Nath sect)...I challenge the makers of the movie to release it....we will not tolerate it," senior BJP leader I P Singh said here on Monday.

Singh, who also filed a complaint with the police against the makers, demanded a probe into the funding of the movie.

Tiwari, while rejecting the allegations, said that he was shelving the project after seeing the reactions on social media, and in the interest of the society and country.

"I feel that the speculations about the content of the film is creating tension in the society and hurting the feelings of people and hence I have decided to shelve the project," he added.