Daijiworld Media Network

Patna, Aug 7: As the release of Prakash Jha's Aarakshan nears, problems too seem to be increasing day by day, specially from the political circles.

Aarakshan, which is set to release all over India as well as abroad on August 12 stars Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Prateik Babbar and Deepika Padukone. The movie has already been banned in Uttar Pradesh by the Mayawati government despite getting a clean chit from the censor board.

The latest trouble has come from Lalu Prasad Yadav, and though he is not in power either in Bihar or at the centre he could cause problems for the movie due to his hold in caste-based politics. Lalu has insisted that Prakash Jha screen Aarakshan for him and other politicians. According to Lalu, India is a caste-based country, and no one has the right to put down any section of the caste through any kind of medium. Movies should be free from caste-based controversies, he said.

But Prakash Jha is in no mood to bend to Lalu's request. "If anyone wants to see the movie, they are welcome to watch after August 12 when it will be screened everywhere.

One will have to wait and see which other politician will come up with a request for a private screening of the movie prior to the release, and it will also be interesting to see what would be Lalu's reaction to Prakash Jha's big 'no'.

Earlier, on Saturday August 6, Akhil Bhartiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, a social outfit led by Chhagan Bhujbal, and dozens of activists of the Republican Party of India (RPI) in Mumbai protested against the movie, and were later detained by the Mumbai police.

According to the protesters, the movie propagates an anti-reservation stand.