'Padmavat' won’t be released in Rajasthan, says state’s Home Minister

Even as the CBFC has given a go-ahead to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavat, the politics over the release of the Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh starrer fails to die down. In the latest instance, Rajasthan government has declared that the movie will not be allowed to release in the state.

Speaking to mediapersons, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that “following the earlier orders of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, movie Padmavat will not be released in the state”.

This came just hours after reports said that the release date of the film was finalised for January 25. The movie was initially slated for release on December 1, 2017.

Before the censor board gave a go-ahead to Padmavat, which was earlier named Padmavati, several states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra had declared that they would not allow the release of the film alleging distortion of historical facts.

The censor board had to constitute a special panel for the purpose of certifying the film. The panel comprised historians as well as members of royal families from Rajasthan. The board suggested no cuts but only five modifications for the release.

Among the modifications, the body has suggested "to change the disclaimer clearly to one that does not claim historical accuracy" and to further add a point that the film in no manner subscribes to the practice of Sati or seeks to glorify it.

Secondly, the title of the movie was asked to be changed from Padmavati to Padmavat, given the filmmakers have attributed their material/creative source to the fictional poem Padmavat and not history.

The song `Ghoomar` was also asked to be modified so as to make the depiction befitting the character being portrayed. The film was given UA certificate.

However, the move failed to end the protest over the movie with the Rajput Karni Sena threatening to vandalise all cinema halls that would show the movie.

The magnum opus stars Deepika Padukone (as Rani Padmavati), Shahid Kapoor (as Maharawal Ratan Singh) and Ranveer Singh (as Alauddin Khilji).