An Indian government ban on screen smoking has divided Bollywood with superstar Shah Rukh Khan putting his weight behind the ban and other top actors saying it is a curb on creativity.

More than 2,000 schoolchildren, meanwhile, took to the streets of India's entertainment capital of Mumbai Friday to support the ban imposed by India from October 2, saying it encouraged cigarette smoking among vulnerable youngsters.

"I agree with the government decision to ban smoking on the big screen," said Khan, Bollywood's most powerful box office draw.

"The government must have put some thought into it when it took the decision."

But while Khan, who has portrayed numerous cigarette-smoking characters in his career spanning more than decade, supported the ban, many others oppose it.

John Abraham thinks the smoke ban will hurt the industry

"If one makes a film on gangsters...you dont expect them not to smoke in the film," he said. "The intentions are honourable but I feel the objectivity will be lost because no one smokes a cigarette just because some hero or a heroine is lighting a cigarette on the big screen."

Actor Aamir Khan said the ban would make it difficult to create a negative character on the screen.

"Sometimes smoking reflects the personality of the character and if a ban comes into effect it will be difficult to create negativity. (It may) even restrict an actor's creativity," he said.

Others were more scathing.

"Tomorrow the government can come with a ban on gun fights saying it creates law and order problem.

"I dont think it is right to take such decisions," said veteran actor and former censor board chief Anupam Kher.

Some of Bollywood's heroines however supported the ban.

"I genuinely feel whatever we do in films, people are influenced," said popular actress Kareena Kapoor.

"It impacts the youth as they copy actors to certain extent. So, I think smoking in films is wrong and should be banned."

A section of Bollywood felt that the government should target the tobacco industry rather than restrict the film industry.

"The ban is uncalled for as I feel people will anyway smoke. The ban is a joke," added director Mahesh Bhatt.