Sara Ali Khan says she was disappointed that she couldn't share her labor of love, her debut film Kedarnath, with the people of Uttarakhand the state where she started her journey as an actress.
During an interaction with the media here, Sara was asked how she reacted when the film failed to get a release in Uttarakhand due to objections from some sections over the alleged promotion of 'love jihad' in the film.
Sara said: "Yes, I am disappointed. It is a weird kind of disappointment which hasn't come from anything else other than the fact that the place Uttarakhand has given me a lot. Those 45 days (of shooting the film) in Kedarnath has given me a lot. The least I could have done for the people over there, giving them back Kedarnath, the film. But now, what to do."
Set in the hill station of Uttarakhand, the story of the film revolves around a Hindu girl falling in love with a Muslim boy and the societal opposition due to their different religions. It is set against the backdrop of a natural calamity.
The film got into controversy for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments and promoting 'love-jihad' from the beginning of its shooting. Before the release of the film on December 7, the Uttarakhand government wrote to all district magistrates about the film and the controversies surrounding it.
The decision followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that reviewed a report submitted by a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. The government asked the district administration to take a call on their own and left it to their discretion whether or not the film should be released in their respective jurisdictions. So, the film did not release in the state.
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, the film also features Sushant Singh Rajput. Sara's maiden performance won her a lot of praise from critics, the audience and her parent's actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan as well as the Hindi film fraternity at large. Sharing her mother's reaction to the film, Sara said: "My mother cried at the end of the film. But I would say parents and family will love and support me by default."