Karnataka Government Halts Release Of 'Hamare Baarah' After Court's Order Over Communal Tension Concerns

The Karnataka government has put stay on the release of 'Hamare Baarah' after the Court's order, on the pretext that the film might incite communal tensions.

A number of Muslim groups claimed that Hamare Baarah is "provocative and insulting". ( Image Source :Instagram/@radhika_g_films )

‘Hamare Baarah’, the upcoming Bollywood film, has been banned in Karnataka for the next two weeks or until further notice. The state of Karnataka in India has banned the release of the film, followed by the court’s order in order to prevent the spread of communal hatred. 

The government is reportedly worried that the film might incite communal tensions if it were to be distributed in the state, as per ANI. In order to avoid any possible communal tension, the decision was reached after looking at the film's trailer and responding to appeals from different groups. 

Multiple Muslim groups petitioned the government, claiming the film portrayed Muslims in a "provocative and insulting manner". The film's release is now postponed due to the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Act's Sections 15(1) and 15(5).

A Debate About ‘Hamare Baarah’

‘Hamare Baarah’ has been met with strong criticism from audiences even in advance of its premiere. Some critics have gone so far as to say that the film's trailer incites community propaganda and is so unsettling that it might harm an entire generation's brains. 

Because of all the uproar it caused, the trailer was quickly removed from all internet sites after its May 30 release.

Story of ‘Hamare Baarah’

‘Hamare Baarah’ explores the problem of population growth in the country against the background of Uttar Pradesh. With strong performances by Annu Kapoor, Ashwini Kalsekar, Abhimanyu Singh, and other actors, the film effectively conveys a message via its engaging storyline and execution. It takes on a delicate and important issue that speaks to all facets of society in a daring and unheard-of way. 

Annu Kapoor Reacts to the Controversy 

Playing the lead role in ‘Hamare Baarah’, actor Annu Kapoor recently spoke out about the controversy in an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha. His main point was that people should see the film for themselves before passing judgment. 

The actor said, "People talk about propaganda all the time. I’m not bothered about it. I would urge people to watch the film first and then decide what our film stands for. They haven’t watched it, so I don’t understand why they’re judging it. Censor board is a competent authority who has passed our film. We should impart them so much power that when they pass a film, it should remain unquestioned. Whoever wants to raise their voice against our film, should do so with words and not abuse or gun. If they bring a gun, we also shall bring a gun. The fact that people are abusing our film means that they’ve already lost and we’ve won".