Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Ram Kadam on Wednesday warned that if Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali did not remove “objectionable scenes” from the film, he would not be allowed to shoot any movie in the future. Kadam heads the Film Studio Setting and Allied Majdoor Union.
“Our union will not support a person who distorts history for the publicity of his film and will demand a ban if needed,” Kadam told ANI. “If Bhansali does not agree [to delete some scenes], our union will not let him shoot any film in the future.”
Meanwhile, Rajput Karni Sena member Lokendra Singh Kalvi warned of widespread violence if the film had any “objectionable content”. The Rajput group had earlier demanded that Padmavati be shown to them and historians before its release on December 1.
On Wednesday morning, more than 500 members of the Karni Sena and other groups gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru to protest against Padmavati. They demanded that the movie should not be released.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti objected to Bhansali showing Padmavati dancing in front of a group in the “Ghoomar” song. They urged the Central Board of Film Certification not to issue a certificate to the film, ANI reported.
“During the ancient times, women born in noble Hindu families never used to dance before the society,” the organisation said. “On the contrary, they used to fight with swords...Despite such glorious history, Bhansali has shown queen Padmavati dancing.”
The Maharashtra government provided precautionary security cover to Bhansali amid increasing controversies around the film, IANS reported on Wednesday quoting unidentified officials.
The Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for providing security cover to Bhansali ahead of the film’s release. “We commend your assurance to keep the law and order situation in control that speaks volumes of the inefficiency of your staff and the police personnel,” filmmaker Ashoke Pandit said in a letter to the chief minister. Pandit also urged the government to help Bhansali release Padmavati without any trouble.
Padmavati, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been in the midst of a controversy since January when members of the Rajput Karni Sena assaulted Bhansali on the set of the movie in Jaipur. The shoot was then shifted to Maharashtra. The Karni Sena has opposed a supposed romantic scene between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji in the movie, which Bhansali had said was not in the film.
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