Aarakshan to have changes.... **Updated: Protest Pics**

To hell with freedom of expression through the medium of film! Director Prakash Jha, who has been on the receiving end of backlash for his upcoming movie from practically everybody, has finally succumbed to their will and is getting ready to make some (un)necessary changes to Aarakshan.

Aarakshan, of course, deals with the issue of caste-based reservations within the Indian education system, and several political parties and groups have expressed concern over its content because of anti-Dalit comments. Aside from several states which have refused the release of the film in their regions, the biggest opposition has been coming from the Republican Party of India (RPI).

Earlier this week, Jha's office and home were attacked by RPI activists, who staged protests and burned posters of the film. Several actors from the film have also been targeted for receiving death threats. Whoa, not cool! It's a f*cking movie for crying out loud!

Though the filmmaker reached a settlement with RPI Thursday, security has been stepped up at multiple multiplexes in Mumbai. The city's deputy commissioner said:

"We have deployed a good manforce in almost all theatres in Mumbai to curb any kind of disturbance caused by anyone. As far as providing extra security is concerned, that depends on the situation after the movie is released. We have provided security to the entire star cast of the film because there were threats to their life."

Today Prakash Jha stated:

"Reservation is a sensitive issue but we have kept that in mind. Political reasons could be behind the ban on the film. I will make appropriate cuts in the film as per suggestions."

I guess our suggestions -- Noooooooo! Don't let them intimidate you, damn it! Stick to your art and do the kind of film you originally intended to do! -- fell on deaf ears. Grrreat.

S'pose Bollywood should just stick to sappy chappy love stories with 6 colorful song sequences employing 60 dancers while opposing families tear apart the lives of their lovesick children who can't fulfill their unrequited love and jump off a cliff, only to come back in their next lives to find each other and seek revenge on the bad guy from their past life who is remarkably not only alive, but has aged very little. Yay for excellence in Hindi cinema!
;-(
[IANS, Daylife]


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Now that the film is only a day away from opening in theaters and the list of states banning it's release grows, more riots and protests are happening all over:

BSP members burn film posters in protest in Thane.

Protesters in Punjab burn Prakash Jha in effigy. 

A BSP member beats a pic of Amitabh Bachchan's face with his shoe. 

According to several news outlets:

Protesters claim the film speaks against India's affirmative action program that reserves education seats and jobs for the country's indigenous peoples and its dalits, or untouchables, who have no caste and have suffered centuries of severe discrimination, and members of other lower castes. 3 Indian states have banned the movie, slated to be released Friday, following apprehensions that certain scenes and dialogues may trigger trouble.

Uh, yeah I'd say 'trouble' has already begun. Why engage in healthy political discourse when going batsh*t crazy seems to get the job done, eh!? Sad. Despite what social references the film has, it's a fictional movie, with fictional characters!

[daylife]