Protests Against Padmavati Intensify In Rajasthan
Film distributors in Rajasthan are wary of releasing Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, scheduled to hit the screens on December 1.
“I can talk about my company… We are not likely to buy the distribution rights of the film till the controversy is resolved,” Raj Bansal, a leading film distributor, told IANS. Echoing similar views, another distributor on condition of anonymity, said: “No one would like to be part of controversy… So I would not like to buy the distribution rights.”
The Sri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community and the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha, a Brahmin community organisation, have decided to oppose the release of the film. According to them, historical facts have been distorted in the film. “They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable,” an activist of Sri Rajput Karni Sena said.
There are around 300 screens in Rajasthan and it will be a loss of around Rs 5 crore if the film is not released in the state, sources said.
“We are demanding that Bhansali’s team should screen the movie for historians and intellectuals before releasing it as was promised by them a few months back. We are apprehensive that historical facts have been distorted in the movie,” Vishavbandhu Rathore, Pradesh Mahasachiv, Sri Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS.
In January, activists of Sri Rajput Karni Sena had protested, manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of Padmavati, claiming Bhansali was distorting historical facts in the movie.
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Former princess, Diya Kumari in a statement said that no film should hurt the sentiments of a community by “twisting historical facts”. Diya Kumari is a BJP MLA.
The director of the film Padmavati, Sanjay Leela Bhansali should not wrongly depict the story of Queen Padmavati of Chittor. He should get the facts in the film verified by a forum of historians and then release the film, she said in a statement.
She said that Rajputs will not allow any distortion of “the valiant history of Rajasthan and sacrifice of its people in fighting barbarians”. Further, she added that if the movie does not display authentic history or takes any liberties, it will not be allowed to be released.
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She has performed all over the world, particularly known for her performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1967 and at the Carnegie Hall, New York in 1976. Apart from Kathak, she was also an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and other forms of folk dances of India. She also learnt the Russian ballet, and other dances of the western world. She has also worked in a few films.
She passed away on November 25, in 2014 in Mumbai. She was 94.
(with inputs from IANS)
