Padmaavat row has Indian cities on edge

New Delhi - The main characters Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, the sultan, never interact in the film and are in the same frame for just a few seconds.

There was anger about a rumoured romance between a Hindu queen and a Muslim invader. There were death threats. There were buses burned and grandstanding politicians.
But when the Indian film Padmaavat was finally released on Thursday amid heavy security and breathless TV coverage, Bollywood's latest over-the-top offering turned out to be just that: an opulent period drama with multiple songs and dances and a thin story line and not the slightest hint of the rumoured relationship.
The film's trailer showed the queen and her female companions dancing during a religious celebration, which angered some protesters.
The main characters Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, the sultan, never interact in the film and are in the same frame for just a few seconds.

• India