The locals of Ghaziabad have moved court against actor Sanjay Dutt’s next film, Zila Ghaziabad, protesting against the subject of the film. They believe that the movie will dent the image of the city and provoke the youth to enter crime.

Parmarth Samiti, the local organisation that’s opposing the movie, has threatened that if the scenes and dialogues defaming Ghaziabad are not replaced, then the agitation will grow more intense. The police, on the other hand, has no interest in backing them. “Agitating and bringing the city to halt is not a smart solution. We will take action against anybody taking the law in their own hands,” says Ghaziabad SSP Prashant Kumar.

The film’s director, Anand Kumar, is also fuming. “It’s rubbish because I am not defaming the place. Once the film releases, the place will come into the limelight. Otherwise who is bothered about Ghaziabad? This is a place from where revenue is generated through taxes, but no one knows about it. My question to them is that if they have not watched a single frame of the film, why are they commenting on it?” he asks.

Anand also counters the allegation that the city is shown in bad light. “Once they see the film, they’ll be more than happy. I have showd the Uttar Pradesh police as one of the finest police forces in the country. Sanjay Dutt plays a cop who comes to Ghaziabad to eradicate the long-drawn gang fighting that has been on for years. That’s what the film is about,” he explains.

Claiming that he is ready to fight any objection against the film, Anand says, “I heard that a case has been filed against the film’s writer and me, but I haven’t received any intimation about it.”

The film, featuring Vivek Oberoi, Arshad Warsi and Minissha Lamba along with Sanjay, is expected to hit theatres on February 22.