Padmaavat drew widespread criticism and even protest action before it opened but has in three days already made $8 million USD.

Protest action and criticism has not however put off movie-goers who flocked to cinemas in the past few days.

Some Indian states have however banned the movie but in other states curiosity has gotten the better of movie-goers, reported Indian Express.

Padmaavat tells the story of a 14th Century Hindu queen belonging to the high Rajput caste and the Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji.

Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh play the lead roles.

Hindu groups and a Rajput caste organization allege that the movie depicts an intimate romantic scene between the two characters; the producers of the film deny this.

Although a fictional character, Padmaavat is deified and held as a symbol of female honor among Rajputs.