Ram Rahim Arrives On Bike, Film Premiere Delayed: 10 Developments

Ram Rahim, who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda, a sect in Haryana, told thousands of adoring fans and followers gathered in MSG T shirts at the Leisure Valley ground, a large Gurgaon park used for exhibitions and conventions, that the film-makers are yet to receive a written order certifying the film for release.

At the venue, posters announced a January 18 release for the film. Ram Rahim said he is already considering a sequel to the film which has triggered protests in towns and cities across north India, including Delhi.

Members of the Punjab party Shiromani Akali Dal protested outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi, demanding a ban on the film, which has been cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. The Akali Dal is an ally of the ruling BJP and participates in the government at the Centre.

In Gurgaon, the police made preventive detentions fearing clashes between the Dera chief's followers and protesters. In Amritsar in Punjab, the Rapid Action Force held flag marches to maintain law and order.

Sikh groups are objecting to what they call the film's "glorification" of the Dera leader, who has several criminal cases against him. They have also alleged that Ram Rahim's dialogues in the trailers of the film are provocative and appear to challenge Sikhs.

The film, which features Ram Rahim in bejewelled costumes riding motorbikes and sending bad guys flying, has prompted the chief of the Censor Board Leela Samson to quit, citing government interference. Another Board member Ira Bhaskar has also resigned.

Ms Samson, an acclaimed classical dancer, has protested that the film was cleared for release despite the board finding it "not suitable for public viewing." The film was then referred to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which cleared the film, only asking producers to drop two words from it.

The government has denied any interference in the film's approval by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. "The final call lies with the tribunal and its decision should be accepted by all," Rajyavardhan Rathore, the junior minister for Information and Broadcasting, told reporters today.

Ram Rahim said today that he has no idea why the censor board had a problem with his film. The film-makers argue that far from being unsuitable, "MSG" fights alcoholism and drug addiction, and extols the virtues of celibacy and a vegetarian diet.

The movie's trailer, which has racked up more than 2 million views on YouTube, shows Ram Rahim glaring at evildoers before scattering them with his fists. Mobbed by thousands of doting disciples, he struts and sings like a Bollywood hero. The film, shot in 67 days, will be released in four languages.