India, Oct. 12 -- Screenings of the newly released Marathi film Manache Shlok were halted across several theatres in Pune on Saturday after Hindutva organisations protested, alleging that the film's title insults Saint Samarth Ramdas.

Directed by Mrunmayee Deshpande, Manache Shlok was released statewide on October 10. However, protests erupted in Kothrud and Dhayari, where agitators gathered inside and outside theatres demanding that the shows be stopped immediately. Following the demonstrations, theatre managements across the city cancelled all screenings as a precautionary measure.

Protesters objected to the film's title, which is identical to Manache Shlok, the revered devotional verses composed by Saint Samarth Ramdas. They claimed ...