A R Rahman issued a fatwa

An Mumbai based Islamic group has issued a fatwa against the Oscar winner music composer AR Rahman and Iranian director Majid Majidi to protest against their film 'Muhammad: Messenger of God.'

The Iranian film is the first of a planned trilogy on the life of Prophet Muhammad. According to reports, Mumbai-based Raza Academy objected to the film, stating, “It is nothing short of a crime to make a film on the Prophet, dramatizing his life and using non-Muslim actors. Making such a film is making a mockery of religion." The group is also demanding a ban on the film in the country. Noorie of the Academy further states that the Academy will be meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to demand a ban on this film in India.

As one of Iran's most celebrated directors, Majidi's 1998 film Children of Heaven was the first Iranian film to receive an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. In 2013, the director announced plans to shoot his next title Floating Gardens in India, stating, “I have always wanted to shoot in India, as I have always felt that both Iran and India have the same cultural sensibilities."

A R Rahman Pictures