The producers of Padmavati - a Bollywood movie based on an epic poem about a Rajput queen, said yesterday they had indefinitely delayed the release of the film, which has been accused of distorting history and has sparked protests.
The movie, which was due to go on release in India on December 1, has led to protests in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states.
The studio behind the movie, Viacom 18 - a joint venture between Viacom Inc and Network 18 owned by Reliance Industries, said yesterday it had “voluntarily deferred the release date of the film.”
“We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course,” the company said in a statement.
The film ran into trouble earlier this year when a Rajput caste organisation, the Rajput Karni Sena, attacked director Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the set in Rajasthan in January.
The Sena, based in Rajasthan, has been critical of the film, saying it would offend the Rajput community, and that Bhansali was deliberately distorting history.
The Sena claimed underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s money was invested in the film.
“We have heard the movie’s release date (December 1) has been postponed. We will be on the streets as soon as a new release date is announced. All we want is a complete ban on the film,” Sena’s patron-founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi said.
“We will not allow the release of Padmavati at any cost,” he added.
“His (Bhansali’s) team had on January 30 had assured us in writing that he will pre-screen the trailer and the movie and take the Rajput organisations into confidence before releasing it. But he did not did do so,” Kalvi said.
The Sena leader claimed that Dawood’s money was invested in the movie.
“I got three threat calls from international numbers - one from Karachi, which indicates Dawood’s money is involved. What is the interest of a man sitting in Karachi in bumping me off?
“We will not allow distorted facts to be shown in the film at any cost and will see to it that the film is not released,” Kalvi said.
In March, some miscreants broke the mirrors at the Padmini Mahal in Chittorgarh Fort where Alauddin Khilji is alleged to have seen Padmavati or Padmini.
The Sena claims the mirror story was invented years later.
Based on an epic poem by Malik Mohamed Jayasi, the film tells the story of Padmavati, the queen of the Rajput warrior clan.
Uttar Pradesh, ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party had also warned the federal government that there would be law and order problems if the film was released.
Some groups have have demanded that the film’s release be delayed in view of the Gujarat assembly elections.
The makers have also not got a clearance yet from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which said the application was “incomplete”.
On Saturday, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi expressed disappointment over the film being screened for some journalists, who said there was nothing in it to hurt anyone’s sentiments.
The makers have described Padmavati as “a beautiful cinematic masterpiece that captures Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory”.
“The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country’s storytelling prowess across the globe,” the statement added.
Padmavati features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
Meanwhile, a BJP leader from Haryana said he would double the bounty on the heads of Padukone and Bhansali, to Rs100mn.
Surajpal Amu, the party’s chief media co-ordinator who made the announcement, also threatened to “break the legs” of Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Khilji, the Delhi Sultan obsessed about Padmavati.
“We do not want to take law into our hands,” Amu said, but if someone “raises an eye at our sisters and daughters,” they will be punished, he said in the speech peppered with threats and inflammatory comments.
Questioning how the film has been funded, he even said, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not worth Rs3 crore - where did he get Rs 300 crore? Modi-ji you have to speak.”
Protesters block a train as they stage a demonstration against Padmavati in Allahabad.
