Khap puts 51-buffalo bounty on filmmaker

MEERUT: A khap in Muzaffarnagar thinks the upcoming Bollywood film 'Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho', starring Annu Kapoor, has portrayed them in a bad light and has announced an award of 51 buffaloes to anyone who brings the film's director Vinod Kapri to them dead or alive.
At a panchayat held at Bhansi village of Muzaffarnagar on Friday, the Ahlawat khap unanimously took the decision after they were shown the trailer of the movie set to be released on June 26.The film, whose plot revolves around a young man accused of having sex with a prized village buffalo, is a political satire, according to its director. It also features Om Puri, Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra and Hrishita Bhatt in supporting roles.
One of the khap members, Raju Ahlawat told TOI, "The director has made a mockery of the khap in his movie. Khaps do not pass illogical diktats as portrayed in the film." According to Ahlawat, at the panchayat, some khap members also suggested measures like holding protests at the director's house in Mumbai or bringing him to the village and making him marry a buffalo.
The khap also decided to stall the film's release and announced that any theatre showing the movie must be ready to face the consequences.
Gajendra Chaudhary, head of the khap, said the government must stop the film's release. "Otherwise, we will protest against the film in other states, like Haryana, too."
On his part, the film's director, Vinod Kapri, told TOI his film does not show the khap in a bad light and censor board had already cleared it. "In our country, the right to impose a ban or give permission to release the movie is reserved only with censor board. We have cut certain scenes on which the censor board had objections."
Kapri said, "My film is not only about khap panchayats but it tries to figure out loopholes in the system. I will request khap leaders to watch the film on June 26. If they don't like the movie, I will give them 51 buffalos from my side."