Culture cops out to stop Nishabd

Four days after the release of Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Nishabd, the unconventional film has fallen afoul of the culture cops in different corners of the country.

The film has run into controversies in at least two big cities, including Bachchan's hometown Allahabad, where it has witnessed mass protest for, what they call, an attempt to propagate Western culture among the youth.

The movie focuses on the love of a 60-year-old man (Bachchan) and an 18-year-old girl ( Jiah Khan ).

"The release of Nishabdon the soil of Prayag can't be tolerated," the protesters in Allahabad, led by a local legislator, vowed. "Through this film, Bachchan is propagating Western culture in our youth, which is disgusting," they alleged.

"We will not let the movie hit the halls. Indeed, Bachchan should take a voluntarily retirement from film industry," said Mukund Tiwari, the local legislator.

In Hyderabad, the state unit of the BJP is up in arms against the film for "destroying Indian ethos and values."

The party’s official spokesperson, N Ramachader Rao, said the film was not only creating "cultural pollution", but was also showing an unacceptable ''love proposition and height of perversion.''

Appealing to the film producers, directors and actors to use their talent and expertise to save the Indian culture, he said it was imperative to every film personality to inculcate patriotism and nationalism in youth and students through their films.

Nishabd is directed and produced by Ram Gopal Varma and it exhibits a high-voltage sensual drama, much contrary to conventional Indian social norms. Both Varma and Bachchan have denied that the movie is a take off on Lolita.