An image from "Kaum De Heere" a film on Indira Gandhi's assassins Satwant Singh and Beant Singh
A Punjabi film on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassins, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, is facing strong political demands for its ban ahead of its release this Friday.
A Congress activist has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi warning of protests across Punjab if the film's release is not stopped.
The same demand from a member of Mr Modi's BJP has forced its ally, Punjab's ruling Akali Dal, to respond.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has reportedly asked his Home Secretary to look into the row. But the state government says it is for the Censor Board of India to decide on the film's release.
Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, who were Indira Gandhi's bodyguards, shot her dead on October 31, 1984, four months after she sanctioned an Army raid to flush out militants hiding in the holiest Sikh shrine, Golden Temple, in what was known as "Operation Bluestar".
The film "Kaum de Heere (Diamonds of the Community)" starts with Operation Bluestar and ends with Satwant Singh's hanging. Beant Singh was killed by other bodyguards just after he shot Indira Gandhi.
Nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots that followed the assassination.
Last year, in a widely criticized move, Satwant and Beant Singh were honoured as "martyrs" at a function by the Akali Dal-backed Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
The film, say critics, also glorifies the assassins.
"Such movies should not be allowed to be shot in the first place. I don't know how the Censor Board approved it," said BJP leader and former minister Laxmikant Chawla.
"Indira Gandhi was our prime minister... glorifying her assassins will disturb peace and harmony not only in Punjab but also in whole of north India. Such movies should be banned," he added.
The film has been facing protests for several months but was cleared for release after the producers agreed to some cuts.
Its release was stalled on February 28 and then on March 14 - in the politically charged run-up to the national election - but it opened overseas with some success.