A group of Shri Rajput Karni Sena activists on Thursday attacked a cinema hall in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, tore posters of PADMAAVAT movie and threatened to set ablaze the hall if the film is screened, police said.

"Around 40 activists of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena attacked Jyoti cinema hall in Muzaffarpur town, tore posters of PADMAAVAT, shouted slogans against its release and threatened to set ablaze the theatre if the film is screened," a district police official said.

The police was, however, yet to act against the Sena activists.

According to the district officials, the police would scan the CCTV footage to take action in this case. "Police have started an investigation into the incident," said an official.

The National Democratic Alliance government in the state, led by Nitish Kumar, has so far not decided whether the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-helmed film would be released in the state.

Actors Vishal and Prakash Raj and film director S.K. Sasidharan on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court order staying the ban by three states on the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's PADMAAVAT.

"Justice has prevailed at the end of the day," said Tamil actor Vishal, reacting to the apex court's Thursday order striking down notifications by the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana governments.

The court said it was incumbent upon the state governments to ensure law and order.

Prakash Raj, a leading south Indian actor, said the state governments were citing reasons of law and order for their action.

"These state governments should step down because they are not fit to be there," he said, alleging that they were catering to fringe groups for votes.

The actors and the director were speaking at India Today Conclave South here.

Prakash Raj said the ban on release of the movie was a blatant attack on freedom of expression.

"I can understand if Rajputs in Rajasthan had some objections to it. (But) what did Gujarat and Haryana have to do with it," he asked.

"They wanted to cut head and nose and they ended up cutting an 'I'," he said referring to the Censor Board clearing the movie after removing "I" from its earlier title PADMAVATI.

Welcoming the Supreme Court order, Vishal said he was the second-most happiest person after Bhansali.

Voicing concern over increasing number of restrictions on filmmaking, he said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was there to give certification and not to censor movies.

Sasidharan, whose movie SEXY DURGA was given certification — which was later rescinded, took objections to questions from moderator as to why he did not make films using the names of holy personalities of other religions.

"I can answer why I made SEXY DURGA but these questions are aimed at dividing people. You want to pit one section of people against other," the director said.

Defending Sasidharan, Prakash Raj wondered why anybody should have objection to the title when the filmmaker has already made it clear that the film is not against Hinduism.

"They have no problem with Durga Wines, Durga mutton shop or Shiva mutton shop. There is a subject and thought process which I want to express and it decides my title but they want to divide people through such questions," he said.

Actors Vishal and Prakash Raj and film director S.K. Sasidharan on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court order staying the ban by three states on the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's PADMAAVAT.

"Justice has prevailed at the end of the day," said Tamil actor Vishal, reacting to the apex court's Thursday order striking down notifications by the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana governments.

The court said it was incumbent upon the state governments to ensure law and order.

Prakash Raj, a leading south Indian actor, said the state governments were citing reasons of law and order for their action.

"These state governments should step down because they are not fit to be there," he said, alleging that they were catering to fringe groups for votes.

The actors and the director were speaking at India Today Conclave South here.

Prakash Raj said the ban on release of the movie was a blatant attack on freedom of expression.

"I can understand if Rajputs in Rajasthan had some objections to it. (But) what did Gujarat and Haryana have to do with it," he asked.

"They wanted to cut head and nose and they ended up cutting an 'I'," he said referring to the Censor Board clearing the movie after removing "I" from its earlier title PADMAVATI.

Welcoming the Supreme Court order, Vishal said he was the second-most happiest person after Bhansali.

Voicing concern over increasing number of restrictions on filmmaking, he said the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was there to give certification and not to censor movies.

Sasidharan, whose movie SEXY DURGA was given certification — which was later rescinded, took objections to questions from moderator as to why he did not make films using the names of holy personalities of other religions.

"I can answer why I made SEXY DURGA but these questions are aimed at dividing people. You want to pit one section of people against other," the director said.

Defending Sasidharan, Prakash Raj wondered why anybody should have objection to the title when the filmmaker has already made it clear that the film is not against Hinduism.

"They have no problem with Durga Wines, Durga mutton shop or Shiva mutton shop. There is a subject and thought process which I want to express and it decides my title but they want to divide people through such questions," he said.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt is looking forward to launch musical drama "Spotlight 2", and says the story focuses on the "loneliness that stardom brings along with the glitz and glamour in the life of a superstar".

Viu, a video-on-demand platform by Vuclip, on Thursday announced the launch of 'Spotlight 2' following the success of 'Spotlight', read a statement.

Presented in association with writer and director Bhatt, the theme of the franchise is a running series that captures the rise, fall and resurrection of a music superstar.

"When 'Spotlight' was a success, I was confident I will make another one. 'Spotlight 2' chronicles a musician's journey as he falls to fame, and then, strives to make a comeback. A story that encapsulates the loneliness that stardom brings along with the glitz and glamour in the life of a superstar," Bhatt said.

"And the story is very apt for the digital platform. Today, the first screen of preference is the cell phone, so it was only natural that I present this franchise to the audience on the web," he added.

The series is being directed by Siddhant Sachdeva and will feature Karan V Grover along with Aditi Arya and Ruhi Singh. It will feature more than seven originally composed tracks brought to life by Harish Sanganay, Ankit Shah and other popular artists. The show goes live on Viu from January 26.

Manasi Sapre, Head of Programming, Viu India said: "With 'Spotlight 2', we celebrate the great journey we have taken on with Vikram Bhatt. We are excited to launch the Spotlight franchise and in the upcoming months, you will see a lot more original shows from Viu that will surely going to excite the audience."

The 13-episode series will mark the launch of the twelfth original series by Viu.

Abhishek Kapoor successfully launched Farhan Akhtar and Sushant Singh Rajput as film actors. The director, whose next movie KEDARNATH will mark Sara Ali Khan's debut, says he chases his characters instead of actors.

"Newcomers have an infectious energy and unpredictability and give the audience a surprise. Having said that, it's not that I mind working with established actors provided they are as excited about portraying the characters that I would like to see brought to life. I can only chase my characters, not my actors. Sometimes it is not possible to do both," Kapoor said in a statement to IANS.

Sara is the daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, and her debut is much-awaited with KEDARNATH, a love story set against the holy temple town of Kedarnath.

Kapoor, whose maternal uncle is veteran actor Jeetendra, said: "I have gone through my share of struggles and have understood that it does not matter whether you start as an 'insider' or as an 'outsider'. What matters is who you are and what you bring to the table in terms of your creativity and your work ethic."

He said his journey to make films was his own choice.

Often one to refrain from being spotted with a particular camp, Kapoor said: "When I was growing up, my mother's brother Jeetendra was a major Hindi movie star, and we do know a lot of people from the movie business. But as with everyone, the decision to be in films and my journey in film was my own, and has been a fairly challenging one too.

"Knowing people is not an automatic all-access pass to success. Very early on, I saw a lot of failure, so any sense of entitlement I may have had about my place in the business, was quickly knocked out of me."

Having directed ROCK ON!!, KAI PO CHE and FITOOR earlier, Kapoor is now looking forward to KEDARNATH.

On how the film happened, he said: "In my house, spirituality has been a guiding principle. I am a big believer of Shivji and the cosmic forces that oversee us.There are two kinds of people in the spiritual world. Those who are believers and and those who are seekers. A believer has trust in the universe and a seeker is one who isn't, but is trying to gain that trust.

"I have made many trips to Vaishnodevi, and I have seen people trekking up mountains on these pilgrimages, on these arduous trips to find God. What I have observed is that on their journeys to seek God, they
usually experience God at some point along the way."

The flash floods that wrought death and destruction in the Hindu pilgrim destination Kedarnath in 2013, left an indelible impact on Kapoor.

"The incident of the floods in 2013 also could not leave my mind, due to the stories that came out of it — devastating and remarkable in equal measure. I had to go ahead and develop a film set against that backdrop. I believe it is one of the most important stories I can tell for modern India," Kapoor said, without divulging anything more on the movie.

Abhishek Kapoor successfully launched Farhan Akhtar and Sushant Singh Rajput as film actors. The director, whose next movie KEDARNATH will mark Sara Ali Khan's debut, says he chases his characters instead of actors.

"Newcomers have an infectious energy and unpredictability and give the audience a surprise. Having said that, it's not that I mind working with established actors provided they are as excited about portraying the characters that I would like to see brought to life. I can only chase my characters, not my actors. Sometimes it is not possible to do both," Kapoor said in a statement to IANS.

Sara is the daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, and her debut is much-awaited with KEDARNATH, a love story set against the holy temple town of Kedarnath.

Kapoor, whose maternal uncle is veteran actor Jeetendra, said: "I have gone through my share of struggles and have understood that it does not matter whether you start as an 'insider' or as an 'outsider'. What matters is who you are and what you bring to the table in terms of your creativity and your work ethic."

He said his journey to make films was his own choice.

Often one to refrain from being spotted with a particular camp, Kapoor said: "When I was growing up, my mother's brother Jeetendra was a major Hindi movie star, and we do know a lot of people from the movie business. But as with everyone, the decision to be in films and my journey in film was my own, and has been a fairly challenging one too.

"Knowing people is not an automatic all-access pass to success. Very early on, I saw a lot of failure, so any sense of entitlement I may have had about my place in the business, was quickly knocked out of me."

Having directed ROCK ON!!, KAI PO CHE and FITOOR earlier, Kapoor is now looking forward to KEDARNATH.

On how the film happened, he said: "In my house, spirituality has been a guiding principle. I am a big believer of Shivji and the cosmic forces that oversee us.There are two kinds of people in the spiritual world. Those who are believers and and those who are seekers. A believer has trust in the universe and a seeker is one who isn't, but is trying to gain that trust.

"I have made many trips to Vaishnodevi, and I have seen people trekking up mountains on these pilgrimages, on these arduous trips to find God. What I have observed is that on their journeys to seek God, they
usually experience God at some point along the way."

The flash floods that wrought death and destruction in the Hindu pilgrim destination Kedarnath in 2013, left an indelible impact on Kapoor.

"The incident of the floods in 2013 also could not leave my mind, due to the stories that came out of it — devastating and remarkable in equal measure. I had to go ahead and develop a film set against that backdrop. I believe it is one of the most important stories I can tell for modern India," Kapoor said, without divulging anything more on the movie.

Whacky – that's the first reaction when you see the poster of Sonakshi Sinha-Diljit Dosanjh-Karan Johar multi-starrer, WELCOME TO NEW YORK. Produced by Pooja Films and Wiz Films, WELCOME TO NEW YORK is touted to be India's first 3D comedy and boasts of the biggest ensemble cast in a rib-tickling comedy.

Starring Karan Johar, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh, Rana Duggabatti, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta and a massive ensemble cast, India's first 3D comedy, WELCOME TO NEW YORK seems to be interesting.

Talking about the film producer Vashu Bhagnani said, “WELCOME TO NEW YORK is an out-an-out entertainer that you can sit back, watch with the entire family and laugh throughout. It's just the kind of film that keeps the smile on your face throughout the time you are in the theatre."

The film is a heartfelt, whacky comedy that tells the story of two unlikely youngsters living in India in search of a better life for themselves. An unexpected trip to New York City sets them off on a comedic adventure that changes their lives forever.

Produced by Pooja Films and Wiz Films and directed by Chakri Toleti, WELCOME TO NEW YORK releases worldwide on February 23rd, 2018.

Whacky – that's the first reaction when you see the poster of Sonakshi Sinha-Diljit Dosanjh-Karan Johar multi-starrer, WELCOME TO NEW YORK. Produced by Pooja Films and Wiz Films, WELCOME TO NEW YORK is touted to be India's first 3D comedy and boasts of the biggest ensemble cast in a rib-tickling comedy.

Starring Karan Johar, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh, Rana Duggabatti, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta and a massive ensemble cast, India's first 3D comedy, WELCOME TO NEW YORK seems to be interesting.

Talking about the film producer Vashu Bhagnani said, “WELCOME TO NEW YORK is an out-an-out entertainer that you can sit back, watch with the entire family and laugh throughout. It's just the kind of film that keeps the smile on your face throughout the time you are in the theatre."

The film is a heartfelt, whacky comedy that tells the story of two unlikely youngsters living in India in search of a better life for themselves. An unexpected trip to New York City sets them off on a comedic adventure that changes their lives forever.

Produced by Pooja Films and Wiz Films and directed by Chakri Toleti, WELCOME TO NEW YORK releases worldwide on February 23rd, 2018.

Actor Prakash Raj said on Thursday that he was not anti-Hindu as alleged by critics but only anti-Modi.

"They say I am anti-Hindu but I say I am anti-Modi, anti-Amit Shah and anti-Hegde," the actor said at the India Today South conclave here.

He was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and BJP leader-cum-central minister Anant Kumar Hegde.

The actor went on to say that those who support killers cannot be called Hindus.

He said the Prime Minister remained silent when he appealed to him to speak out when some Modi supporters celebrated the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

"A true Hindu cannot support such activity," said Prakash Raj, a friend of the slain woman journalist.

The actor's remarks evoked protest from the BJP spokesman in Telangana, Krishna Sagar Rao, who was in the audience.

The actor defended his stand. "When you can call me anti-Hindu, I have every right to say you are not Hindu," he said.

Actor Prakash Raj said on Thursday that he was not anti-Hindu as alleged by critics but only anti-Modi.

"They say I am anti-Hindu but I say I am anti-Modi, anti-Amit Shah and anti-Hegde," the actor said at the India Today South conclave here.

He was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and BJP leader-cum-central minister Anant Kumar Hegde.

The actor went on to say that those who support killers cannot be called Hindus.

He said the Prime Minister remained silent when he appealed to him to speak out when some Modi supporters celebrated the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

"A true Hindu cannot support such activity," said Prakash Raj, a friend of the slain woman journalist.

The actor's remarks evoked protest from the BJP spokesman in Telangana, Krishna Sagar Rao, who was in the audience.

The actor defended his stand. "When you can call me anti-Hindu, I have every right to say you are not Hindu," he said.