Hollywood director Param Gill's Bollywood debut Waarrior Savitri has landed him in trouble. The film, scheduled for release in India and the US on August 25, has apparently received backlash for its depiction of the Hindu goddess (Savitri) as a modern, 21st-century woman. Effigies bearing the image of Gill have been reportedly burnt in Raipur, Ludhiana and a few places in India. We hear, Gill has also received threats and his personal website was hacked recently. Religious fundamentalists have assumed the film to be a Western influence on an important character from mythology, thus diluting its message. In the trailer, the goddess is shown practicing martial arts to combat her enemies. Savitri, played by Niharica Raizada, depicts sexual intimacy in certain portions and will be seen wearing bold outfits in the film, which is set in Las Vegas.

Speaking from Los Angeles, Gill says, “I was inspired by the Nirbhaya case. I think women need to empower themselves. They should learn martial arts for self-defence.“

Gill and lead actress Lucy Pinder were set to board the flight for Mumbai from LA to promote the film. But fearing security issues, they chose not to. “It's frustrating to not be able to come to India to promote my first Bollywood film,“ says Pinder.