Uproar over ‘Yadav ji’s Love Story’, film surrounded by allegations of caste and love jihad even before its release

New Delhi . The film ‘Yadav ji’s love story’, which is going to be released on February 27, has not even reached the theaters yet, but even before that it has come into the circle of controversies. The story of the film is said to be based on the love story of a girl from Yadav community and a Muslim boy, regarding which some organizations of Yadav community have lodged a strong protest. They allege that the film not only presents their caste identity in a wrong context, but also tries to give a wrong message to the society by linking it to a sensitive issue like ‘Love Jihad’. The protesting people have warned that the movement will be intensified if the film is released.

There is no detailed response from the makers of the film yet, but the controversy has suddenly brought it into the limelight. This is not the first time that a film has faced protests on the issue of caste, community or social identity. Even before this, many films in Hindi and regional cinema have been embroiled in similar controversies.

Padmavat is a big example of this. With the announcement of the film, Rajput organizations and Karni Sena had alleged that the character of Rani Padmavati would be portrayed in a wrong manner and historical facts would be tampered with. The protest grew so much that the film set was vandalized and later the makers had to make some changes. Similarly, some Maratha organizations had objected to the love story of a Dalit boy and a Maratha girl being shown in Sairat. The film achieved success at the box office, but faced protests during its release.

Article 15 also remained in controversy due to raising issues like caste-based discrimination and social inequality. Some organizations alleged that the film presents the image of a particular society in a negative light. Some people from the Vanniyar community had raised objections regarding Jai Bheem and claimed that their society has been wrongly portrayed in the film. The matter escalated so much that it even led to a legal notice and demonstration.

Based on the lives of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule, Phule also faced opposition from some Brahmin organizations in Maharashtra. The allegation was that history has been distorted in the film and a particular community has been shown in a negative light. At the same time, the film named ‘Ghooshkhor Pandit’ had to face resentment from the Brahmin community regarding its title and the matter reached the court.

It is clear from these examples that whenever the story in Indian cinema is related to caste, community or religious identity, sensitivity and controversy go hand in hand. Now it has to be seen whether ‘Yadav Ji Ki Love Story’ reaches its release or it has to face the situation of change or postponement under the pressure of opposition. At present, it is certain that the film has heated up the atmosphere of discussion and debate even before its release.