Maldhari community persons challenge release of Parched in Gujarat HC

Ahmedabad: A day before the proposed release of movie ‘Parched’ produced by Ajay Devgan FFilms, the Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the producers, Director and the censor board on a PIL demanding ban on it for allegedly showing the woman of Maldhari (the nomadic tribe in Gujarat which earns its livelihood from animal stock) community in poor light.

The court of chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi issued the notices but did not put a stay on the India release of the movie which has already been released Internationally in the USA in June this year.

The PIL filed by an activist from Kutch district claimed that the movies depicts the Maldhari community in poor light. It shows the woman of the community using foul language and advocating for dowry.

The Movie written and directed by Leena Yadav and produced by Ajay Devgan under his banner Ajay Devgn FFilms premiered at the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled to be released in India tomorrow.

The film revolves around four women living an unwanted life in a village of north-western India, where old, age traditions like forced child marriages and other social issues like financial difficulties, spousal and familial rape, and physically and emotionally abusive alcoholic husbands are still prevalent.

DeshGujarat