KOCHI: Right-wing outfit
Hindu Aikya Vedi (HAV) has threatened to stall the release of an upcoming movie, based on Jnanpith Award winner
M T Vasudevan Nair
's acclaimed novel 'Randamoozham', if it is named 'The Mahabharata'. The movie is India's biggest-ever motion picture as it has a budget of Rs 1,000 crore.
"Let me put it in a very simple way. If the film is based on the novel Randamoozham, its name should be Randamoozham. If it is named 'The Mahabharata', it should be based on Mahabharata penned by
Veda Vyasa
," said HAV president K P Sasikala.
Sasikala, known for her radical views on matters related to Hinduism, said: "Shouldn't one be wary if it is not given the right title. If it is titled Mahabharata, it will not reach the theatres," she said.
Randamoozham narrates the epic through the eyes of Bhima, the second son of Kunti. UAE-based businessman BR Shetty is investing Rs 1,000 crore for producing the movie. The movie is being directed by ad filmmaker V A Shrikumar Menon.
Actor Mohanlal will play the central role of Bhima.
The movie will be produced in two parts and shooting is scheduled to begin by September 2018 for release in early 2020. The second part will be released within 90 days of the first.
Shetty's company had said the film will be shot primarily in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu and will be dubbed into major Indian languages and leading foreign languages. Agencies