Lucknow:
Amitabh Bachchan and director Prakhash Jha have been told they cannot meet with students in Lucknow on Thursday to discuss their new film, Aarakshan.
Mr Bachchan is one of the stars of the movie which examines the issue of reservation based on caste. Currently in Patna to promote the film, Mr Bachchan tweeted several times to express his disappointment:
"And now the bad news .. our Lucknow trip tomorrow cancelled because the U.P administration withdraws all permission to conduct promo."
"The administration does not allow us to enter the city..unofficial reports by police say they have instructions to arrest us if we do."
"They say it is a sensitive subject and do not want us to enter the city even...without even seeing the film, duly Censored ?? Strange"
Mr Bachchan then tweets that Delhi would be the next stop for the film's promotion.
"But we must follow the law of the land .. and the principles that our Constitution is based on .. will go straight to Delhi now."
Mayawati's government had said that the discussion with students could pose a potential law and order problem. In a letter, officials said that the scheduled meeting at Lucknow University could provoke protests by political parties.
The film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Manoj Bajpai. It releases on August 12.
"My film is not political at all; it is based on the status of higher education in our country today. But I don't know there is some kind of apprehension; there are leaders who are worried about the outcome of the film. Nobody has contacted me, or asked me to show the film. The Censor Board has already seen it and approved it," said director Prakash Jha.
Mr Bachchan is one of the stars of the movie which examines the issue of reservation based on caste. Currently in Patna to promote the film, Mr Bachchan tweeted several times to express his disappointment:
"And now the bad news .. our Lucknow trip tomorrow cancelled because the U.P administration withdraws all permission to conduct promo."
"The administration does not allow us to enter the city..unofficial reports by police say they have instructions to arrest us if we do."
"They say it is a sensitive subject and do not want us to enter the city even...without even seeing the film, duly Censored ?? Strange"
Mr Bachchan then tweets that Delhi would be the next stop for the film's promotion.
"But we must follow the law of the land .. and the principles that our Constitution is based on .. will go straight to Delhi now."
Mayawati's government had said that the discussion with students could pose a potential law and order problem. In a letter, officials said that the scheduled meeting at Lucknow University could provoke protests by political parties.
The film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Manoj Bajpai. It releases on August 12.
"My film is not political at all; it is based on the status of higher education in our country today. But I don't know there is some kind of apprehension; there are leaders who are worried about the outcome of the film. Nobody has contacted me, or asked me to show the film. The Censor Board has already seen it and approved it," said director Prakash Jha.
