‘Padmavat’ Will Not Be Released In Rajasthan: Chief Minister Raje

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today announced that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film “Padmavati”, retitled as “Padmavat”, will not release in the state on January 25, when it is expected to hit screens across the country.

The film will not be released in Rajasthan to honour the sentiments of the people of the state, Raje said in a media statement. “The sacrifice of Rani Padmini is a matter of pride for the state and she is not just a chapter of history for us,” Raje said.

Following the announcement, state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, the Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party chief and several Rajput organisations spoke out against the movie.

The film has been mired in controversy over its plot line and has been recently cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which asked makers to change the title and suggested other modifications. Though Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Bhansali have not released an official statement yet, sources in the production house said the film will release on January 25, a day before Republic Day.

The period romance that features Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in lead roles was earlier scheduled to be released on December 1.

The chief minister has already written to the Centre on the issues related to the film and it will not be released in Rajasthan, Kataria told reporters. BJP state president Ashok Parnami said that if the film has some controversial scenes, then it will not be tolerated and protests will continue. There will be agitations if the history of Rajasthan is distorted in the movie, he said

Also Read: ‘Padmavat’ Gets Jan. 25 Release Date

Outfits representing the Rajput community held a combined press conference at the Rajput Sabha Bhawan in Jaipur. President of the Shree Rajput Sabha, Giriraj Singh Lotwara, said that it was unfortunate that the censor board wanted to favour the producers instead of considering recommendations of the panel that reviewed the movie.

The CBFC had appointed a special panel to review the film as many Rajput organisations were up in arms against the portrayal of queen Padmini in the film even though historians are divide on whether she actually existed.

The BJP-led state government was trying to crush Rajputs. Changing the name of the film cannot change the facts, president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said. “We will not let the film release in the country. We have been protesting peacefully for the last one year. If the film is released on January 25, then theatres will burn,” he added.