Bollywood royal romance epic opens to protests in India

JODHPUR, India (AFP) - A lavish film about the love between a Muslim emperor and his Hindu wife, played by Bollywood's most glamorous star Aishwarya Rai, has opened in India to angry protests.
Cinemas in western Rajasthan state have refused to show "Jodhaa Akbar" after threats from the region's Rajput community, which says the historical romance is grossly inaccurate.
The film -- said to be one of the most expensive Bollywood movies ever made -- depicts a romance between the 16th century Mughal ruler Akbar and Rajput princess Jodha Bai.
But Rajputs and many historians say Jodha Bai was in fact Akbar's daughter-in-law.
"We will not allow the film to run unless the director makes a public apology," Lokendra Kalvi, the chief of a Rajput group, told reporters in the state on Friday.
Former Miss World Rai portrays Jodha, while Akbar is played by Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan.
"Jodhaa Akbar" is Rai's first film since her high-profile marriage to actor Abhishek Bachchan, the son of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.
India's prolific Bollywood film industry -- famed for its sexually suggestive song-and-dance routines -- is no stranger to controversy in a country known for its chaste public behaviour.
In December, a film starring superstar Madhuri Dixit was banned in an Indian state after low-caste Hindus said its song lyrics were offensive.
Last year Rai was summoned to court to respond to complaints that her last big production, "Dhoom-II," included an "obscene" kissing scene between her and Roshan.
That controversy came after another Indian court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood star Richard Gere and India's Shilpa Shetty, after Gere enthusiastically kissed the actress on the cheek at an HIV/AIDS awareness show.
The latest protests could hit the film's business, which was also threatened by a dispute between the producers and cinema owners over the sharing of ticket revenues.
Scores of cinemas in western Maharashtra state, where the Bollywood industry is based, did not show the film on Friday because of the row.
The stakes are high for the epic, which cost an estimated 400 million rupees (10 million dollars) to make.
The film recorded around 70 percent bookings over the weekend, trade analyst Taran Adarsh said.
"It is picking up now. I think it will recover the money spent on it," Adarsh said.
But film critics have panned it for poor production and narrative.
"The length of three hours and 20 minutes is a punishment," Khalid Mohamed wrote in the Hindustan Times. The review branded the film "Jodhaa AkBORE."