Bollywood 'insult' song angers Hindu activists
A Hindu nationalist group filed a court case on Monday seeking to ban the release of Bollywood film Shanghai over satirical lyrics that describe India as a land of diseases and cow dung.
Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena (BSKS), a conservative Hindu group based in New Delhi, said it had applied for the court order on the basis that the song was 'anti-national' and a 'clear insult' to the country.
The movie, a political thriller scheduled for release on June 8, tackles the thorny issue of the poor being thrown off their land for urban development and compares modernisation in India with China.
The song, called 'Say victory to Bharat Mata (Mother India)', includes the words "India is land of dengue, malaria... and cow dung".
"We want the court to impose a blanket ban on the song. How can we allow anyone to ridicule our own country like this?" said Tajinder Singh Bagga, the president of BSKS.
The Delhi high court admitted the petition and will conduct a hearing on June 6.
The film's director Dibakar Banerjee, who has a reputation for controversial films, was not immediately available for comment.
Bollywood plots traditionally celebrate family values and conservative lifestyles, with even the briefest screen kiss frowned upon, but recent output has addressed divisive social issues and included some daring sex scenes.
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