The controversy around the movie Karbala

The buzz in town is that there's a Bollywood movie that's to be launched called "Karbala" which, as the title suggests, depicts the heart rendering story of Karbala. The history of Karbala revolves around Imam Husain (a.s)- the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s) who with his family and faithful friends headed to the land of Karbala (in present day Iraq) to fight the evil anti-Islamic government of the time, and thus along with his people, embraced martyrdom.

So, about the movie. The Muslims (mostly Shias) are involved in vehemently opposing the movie and calling for its ban. As I passed a Shia mosque in the city today, I saw a big poster which read "Ban the movie Karbala." I sighed. Now here's the thing. I went home and googled about the movie. I saw a few interviews by the filmmaker and its cast and it looks like the movie is aimed to simply, spread the message of Karbala and Imam Husain (a.s) Whats more is that the movie hasn't even released yet, nor has its promo. So I don't see reason in protesting over it! The script writer said in an interview that the movie should not arouse controversy because they'll be having the script of the movie passed by Shi'a and Sunni boards.

the movie's poster.

So, unless I see a half-naked belly dancer featuring in an "item number" in the movie, haraam music, or some serious misinterpretations, distortions and myths depicted in the movie, I will not be signing any petitions calling for its ban. So please, stop sending me ghastly bad-written emails asking me to do something to ban the movie. And lets stop making a fool of ourselves by being melodramatic and uselessly emotional by flaunting our unintelligibly ill-researched ways.

Shias have this habit of limiting Imam Husain to themselves, to their Hussainiyahs, to their mosques and to their pulpits, while Imam Husain is a figure of humanity for the (entire) humanity. One of the casts, in his interview, also quoted the Imam's saying "Death with dignity is better than a life lived in humiliation." And that has like.. never happened on a wide non-Muslim platform before.

And if your objection is about "how can irreligious Bollywood actors play infallible characters!" or "how could the faces of these be shown!" then, I hate to break it to you cupcake- but a lot of Iranian actors who play the role of great people in religious movies, aren't that great in real-life. But well, isn't a person's real character and Emaan something between him and Allah (SWT) for us to be judgmental about it? As for the latter, we don't know yet if the faces of the characters of the Imam, his family and companion will be shown or not. Personally, I do not think the film makers would take such a risk as to show them.

Now you might think I am all for this movie. But it's not so. I am simply against the ignorant Shi'a behavior of insulting and belittling people they have a difference of opinion with, in the most blatant un-Islamic manner. Here, of desecrating the pictures of the film maker and its cast, calling them filthy names, sending la'nat on them, condemning them to hell, and accusing them on kufr (all major sins in themselves.)

Funny how the message of Imam Husain (a.s) is already lost on his very "followers."
Funny how we worry the movie will hurt the sentiments of the Muslims while we hurt in greater proportion the sentiments of Muslims and non-Muslims.
Funny how we call their making the movie unlawful and un-Islamic while we ourselves indulge in glaringly un-Islamic behavior and slander them.
Funny how we never think twice before speaking.
(Imam Ali (a.s): "He who has no control over his tongue will often have to face discomfort.")

On the flipside, I'd rather the movie does not release for two reasons-
1. Knowing how Bollywood turns movies based on real life events into this emotional Indian saga, it's not unexpected that "Karbala" will be given the same treatment.
2. The star cast consists of B grade actors, the film makers unheard of and the production is a low scale one. So, I do not expect but a below average result. The movie will probably turn out to be a flop hitting the lower priced cinemas and the magnanimity of the real incident of Karbala, unfortunately, destroyed.

Tell me what you think.

EDIT:
Following is the fatwa from The Grand Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyed Ali al-Sistani.

Question :
Is it permissible to draw or produce a scene which shows the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), one of the past prophets or the infallible Imams (a.s.), or other luminaries and show it in cinema, on television or theater?
Answer :
If due deference and respect is observed, and the scene does not contain anything that would detract from their holy pictures in the minds [of the viewers], there is no problem.

Source: http://sistani.org/index.php?p=616687&id=1282