two superstars, Deepika Padukone and Ajay Devgn, has spilled over into a political domain beyond Bollywood, triggering a war of words over PM Modi’s policies

Indian film actor, director and producer Ajay Devgn’s ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ and Indian superstar actress and producer Deepika Padukone’s ‘Splash’ are very different movies in ways that extend far beyond storyline or budget. They appear to have divided audiences along ideological lines ever since they hit cinemas together on January 10.

The intense rivalry over the two films can be gauged by the fact that workers for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are distributing free tickets for ‘Tanhaji’ – based on the legend of a Hindu warrior from the medieval era – in many places, while Congressmen, members of the main opposition party in India, are doing so for ‘Splash’, a biopic about acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.

Several BJP leaders have called for a boycott of ‘Splash’, but in the Congress-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the movie has been declared tax-free in a bid to boost its prospects.