Malaysia’s Home Ministry has barred the controversial Bollywood film "Padmaavat" from being screened in theatres, after deeming the movie a negative portrayal of a Muslim ruler.

The film has already attracted widespread protests in India, after groups critical of the project accused its director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, of distorting history by portraying the Muslim ruler as the "lover" of Queen Padmaavati of the Hindu Rajput warrior clan.

However, in just a week on the big screen, the movie has been a box office hit – despite being banned in two states. In its first three days, the movie raked in over $8 million USD in India.

According channelnewsasia.com, in Muslim-majority Malaysia, authorities have instead rejected the portrayal of Sultan Alauddin Khilji and banned the film.

"He is portrayed as a Sultan who is arrogant, cruel, inhumane, devious with all kinds of trickery, unreliable and who does not fully practice Islamic teachings," Malaysia’s governmentsaid in a statement.

Malaysia's Film Censorship Board ruled that the movie was "not approved for screening", while an appeal lodged by the film's distributors was rejected on Tuesday.

Bollywood films are popular in Malaysia, where ethnic Indians make up seven percent of the country's 32 million people.