Activists of right-wing outfits staged demonstrations outside movie halls in Mumbai, Pune, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat on Friday, protesting against the screening of films Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani, PTI reported.

Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Pune forced Citypride cinema to cancel all shows of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, alleging that it distorted the history of the Peshwa’s rule. The movie has been embroiled in controversy, with Pakistan banning its release as well for allegedly being anti-Islamic. However, the Bombay High Court had refused to stay the release of the film while hearing a plea that maintained the same allegations.

In Mumbai, five activists of the Hindu Sena were detained and taken to Dadar Police Station on Friday for trying to enter a cinema hall and threatening to stop the screening of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dilwale. The activists shouted slogans of “Shah Rukh Khan murdabad” over his recent remarks on rising intolerance in India.

Right-wing groups in different districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur, also launched protests against Rohit Shetty’s movie over the same matter. They tore posters, stormed into theatres and stopped the screening of the film in three halls. The police said that the head of Hind Rashtra Sanghatan, Rajesh Shirodkar, and another protester were arrested on charges of breaching peace in Indore.

In Gujarat, a few theatres stopped screening Dilwale for the day fearing damage to their properties, after protests in Ahmedabad, Surat and Mehasana.