Senior BJP leader IP Singh charged the director of Zila Gorakhpur of tarnishing the image of Yogi Adityanath and lodged an FIR against Tiwari

The makers of Zila Gorakhpur have decided to scrap the film following the outrage sparked over the first look of the film, a DNA report stated.

“After seeing reactions on the social media over poster released, I have decided to drop my new film Zila Gorakhpur. The decision to close the project was taken in public and national interest. I had no intentions to hurt public sentiments. The film was unnecessarily dragged into the controversy which was uncalled for as there was nothing controversial in the proposed film,” Vinod Tiwari, director of the film, informed DNA.

Tiwari released the first poster of his proposed film Zila Gorakhpur, which was reportedly to be based on the life of the incumbent chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. The film, as per the same report, would also shed light on saffron terrorism and mob lynching. However, a mumbailive.com report stated that the director had clarified that the film was not a biopic on Yogi Adityanath but based on the political rebellion in Uttar Pradesh.

The poster depicted a saffron-clad man, with his hand behind his back bearing a pistol. In the background was visible the Gorakhnath temple of the Nath sect as well as a cow and calf standing next to the man.

The poster started doing the rounds on the social media drawing the attention of BJP state leaders with senior BJP leader IP Singh accusing the director of the film of tarnishing the image of Yogi Adityanath and eventually lodging an FIR against Tiwari at Vibhuti Khand Police Station in Gomtinagar on the night of 29 July.

"Vinod ji, we will not allow this film to be released. It was an attempt to foment communal trouble and divide people to earn quick money and cheap publicity. We also demand to probe who was funding the film director to produce this controversial film", DNA quoted Singh. "I have a strong objection of director using the words like mob lynching and Hindu terrorism," he added.

The film was slated for release in 2019.