A Canadian company making a controversial film in India has criticised official moves to halt the production as a curtailment of the constitutional right of freedom of expression.

The authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have advised the crew of the film, "Water", to stop work and leave the Hindu holy city of Varanasi immediately.

The state chief minister, Ram Prakash Gupta, said the decision was taken in view of the deteriorating law and order situation.

It follows protests by radical Hindu organisations that say the film denigrates Indian culture.

The film depicts the social stigma suffered by widows in India and is the third in a trilogy by the producer Deepa Mehta. A BBC correspondent in the Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow, says there are indications that the film company could challenge the ban in court.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service