Udaipur Files - The wrong depiction of Muslims

[muslimsforum]

What Is Udaipur Files?

A Hindi-language crime thriller directed by Bharat S. Shrinate and Jayant Sinha, starring Vijay Raaz and Rajneesh Duggal, based on the real-life 2022 murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal. Initially scheduled for release on July 11, 2025, but the Delhi High Court issued a stay hours before due to litigation.

Allegations of Misrepresentation

1. Vilification of Deoband/Islamic Scholars

The Jamiat Ulama‑e‑Hind claims the film paints Deoband as a hub of Islamic radicalism and portrays Muslim scholars negatively.

2. Stereotyping the Entire Community

They argue the trailer unfairly implicates the broader Muslim community, linking it to the murder, thus risking communal disharmony.

3. References to Sensitive Religious Topics

The movie allegedly includes references to Gyanvapi Masjid and echoes of Nupur Sharma’s earlier remarks, both deemed inflammatory.

4. Offensive Depictions

Specific scenes reportedly show Muslim clerics in homosexual acts with minors—called "highly objectionable" by petitioners.

5. Hate Propaganda

Both Jamiat and the Majlis‑e‑Islah wa Tanzeem accused the film of spreading hatred and criticized it for echoing the pattern of The Kashmir Files—another film accused of stoking Islamophobia.

Legal and Regulatory Response

Multiple courts, including Delhi and Madras High Courts, received petitions seeking a ban or stay on grounds of communal disharmony. Delhi HC directed a special screening and review under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, citing 55 CBFC cuts made to the film before certification.

A Balanced Perspective

Filmmakers’ Defense: They argue the film focuses on crime and terrorism, not religion per se, and that more than half of its Muslim characters have positive roles. They also claim much of the controversial content was removed after CBFC review .

Critics’ Concern: Even with cuts, critics fear the film still promotes a misleading narrative that could harm communal harmony—especially as sensitive subjects like Gyanvapi and Muslim identity are evoked.

While Udaipur Files aims to document a shocking tragedy, the core criticism is that it shifts from individual criminality to community association, thereby riskily generalizing blame. By invoking religious imagery and involving communal hotspots, it straddles the line between true-crime and communal narrative.

The legal stay and CBFC’s 55 edits indicate there were indeed elements deemed inflammatory. The portrayal of Muslims, especially religious scholars, in scenes that reinforce negative stereotypes, is central to the controversy.