Fearing communal unrest, Karnataka govt halts release of 'Hamare Baarah'

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has suspended the release of the Hindi film "Hamare Baarah" for two weeks, citing potential communal unrest. Directed by Kamal Chandra and starring Annu Kapoor, the film was initially set to debut Friday.

The ban also extends to the screening of the movie trailer on media platforms.

This decision follows petitions from several Muslim organizations, which claimed the movie portrays their community in a "provocative and insulting manner." The government invoked Section 15(1) and 15(5) of the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Act to enforce the prohibition.

According to the June 5 government order, the film's producers and director have misinterpreted Quranic verses, leading to misleading and incendiary content. The movie allegedly contains scenes that could incite one community against another and depicts a community disrespectfully.

The order emphasised that the film's release could disrupt peace and incite communal riots. "In order to maintain law and order in the state, the movie will not be released in Karnataka for the next two weeks or until further orders," the State Home Department stated.