"Pathaan", which hit theaters on Wednesday, the day before Republic Day celebrations, has sparked controversy among extremist Hindu groups protesting one of the songs in the credits.

In said song, Deepika Padukone, an Indian actress who is cast - along with Indian action hero John Abraham - appears with a saffron-colored bikini.

Saffron is a color associated with the Hindu religion and considered sacred.

Activists from a radical Hindu group demonstrated with "Boycott Pathaan" banners in Bangalore on Wednesday, according to local media.

People wearing "Pathaan" T-shirts and playing drums gathered outside cinemas in Mumbai.

News channel NDTV said more than 500,000 tickets had been booked for its first day.

1st blockbuster of 2023

Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema with millions of fans at home and abroad.

Also known as "King Khan" and "Badshah", he has ruled Bollywood for over 30 years.

But his return to cinemas comes after a series of personal and professional setbacks.

His last film "Zero" in 2018 was a commercial failure and his son was arrested last year in a drug case which was later dropped.

Fans of actor Shah Rukh Khan gathered outside a cinema on the occasion of the release of the film "Pathaan", on January 25, 2023 in Bombay, India © SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP

Mr. Khan belongs to the Muslim minority in India.

Voices have arisen to ban the film unless the song is taken down.

The hashtag #BoycottPathaan has appeared on Twitter, in connection with recent repeated social media campaigns against certain right-wing Hindu films.

Two other Bollywood actors, Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, have also been the subject of recent boycott calls.

Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a suave spy with long hair and washboard abs, said 25 single-screen cinemas across the country were reopening on Wednesday, thanks to the film.

"Growing up, I only watched movies in single-screen cinemas. It's especially nice," he tweeted in Hindi on Tuesday.

"I pray that you and I will be successful. Congratulations on your reopenings."

Bollywood has struggled in recent years to produce the kind of major blockbusters that have brought it so much success in India and beyond.

Fans of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan wear 'Pathaan' movie poster t-shirts on January 25, 2023 in Mumbai, India © SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP

Its Hindi output also faces a tough challenge from films made in other languages ​​like "RRR" which won a Golden Globe this month and was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar on Tuesday.

Film critic and business analyst Taran Adarsh ​​praised "Pathaan."

"#Pathaan has it all: power, style, height, songs, soul, substance and surprises," he tweeted.

"And above all, #SRK which is back with a vengeance... will be the first blockbuster of 2023".

© 2023 AFP