Veteran director Rajkumar Santoshi wrote a letter to Mumbai’s Special CP Deven Bharti seeking security for himself and his family after a press conference of his upcoming film Gandhi-Godse: Ek Yudh was interrupted by protesters.

The film is set to release on January 26 (Republic Day), ahead of Mahatma Gandhi's 75th death anniversary on January 30.

News agency ANI posted a photocopy of the director’s letter on Instagram. An excerpt from which read, “My team (directors, producers & cast) for the movie Gandhi vs Godse, was in the middle of the press conference where it was interrupted by a group of people with vested interests.” “Later, several threats were received from some unknown people asking me to stop the release and promotion of this film. I feel unsafe and I further submit that grave damage and injury could be caused to me and my family members if such persons are set free and if no steps are taken by your good self and further losses would be caused not only to us but the public at large,” his letter also added.

Earlier members of the Congress party were seen protesting against the film in Madhya Pradesh. Besides this, Tushar Gandhi earlier told ANI, “I'm not surprised because for them Godse is a hero, and if they portray him as a hero, it should not surprise any of us. But I cannot comment on the merits or the demerits of the film because I haven't seen it and I don't intend to see films which glorify murderers.”

Gandhi-Godse, a revisionist historical film, is about Gandhi surviving the attack by right-wing extremist Nathuram Godse and then engaging in a debate on ideologies with him.

The film stars Deepak Antani in the role of Gandhi while The Kashmir Files actor Chinmay Mandlekar will be essaying the role of Godse. It will be released in theatres just a day after Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan on January 25.