In what could be seen as a rather significant statement regarding the ill-conceived protests against release of Padmavati, Prasoon Joshi has disowned statements by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member, Arjun Gupta.
In a letter to the home minister, Arjun had asked that Sanjay Leela Bhansali be tried for “treason,” for distorting history in Padmavati.
In a swift counter-move, Prasoon, who is the CBFC chairperson, completely invalidated Arjun’s aggressive demand. Says Prasoon, “It’s unfortunate to see the personal point of view expressed by an advisory panel member of CBFC, against Sanjay Leela Bhansali. By no means does it represent the point of view of the CBFC as an organisation, or the CBFC board. We have respect for Bhansali as an individual and artiste.”
For the record, Padmavati is yet to be submitted to the CBFC for certification. A source from the team says that it will be sent for certification in the next week. “We are aware that this film will be watched closely, and we are prepared for whatever decision the CBFC takes on the content. On our part, we are fully confident that there’s nothing objectionable in our film,” says the source from the core team of Padmavati.
