‘Padmavati’ row: Censor board turns down filmmakers’ plea to speed up certification process
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a petition asking that ‘objectionable scenes’ in the movie be deleted before its release.
The Central Board of Film Certification on Monday turned down an application by the makers of Padmavati to expedite the certification process for the movie, ANI reported. The CBFC said the film would be reviewed and certified as per the norms of the board, that is, in chronological order of the movies submitted for certification.
Viacom18 Motion Pictures – the co-producers of Padmavati – on Sunday said they had decided to “voluntarily defer” the film’s release. The movie was scheduled to be out on December 1.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday that the film would not be allowed to release in the state if it showed the queen Padmavati in a light which was against historical traditions. Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has also said he does not support the movie’s release in his state.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to order certain scenes to be deleted, saying it was not going to ‘interfere’ with the CBFC’s work.
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. Several outfits have protested against the movie, which is about Rajput queen Rani Padmini, also known as Padmavati.
On Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party chief media coordinator for Haryana, Suraj Pal Amu, announced a Rs 10-crore reward for anyone who beheads actor Deepika Padukone and Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.