Amid protests and threats to actress Deepika Padukone and film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the producers of Padmavati on Sunday announced that the release of the movie — scheduled for December 1 — has been postponed.
The producers said they have taken the decision to postpone the release on their own and would ann-ounce the new release date very soon.
The development came on a day when Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM), a right wing group, announced in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone who “burns Deepika alive”. Another group of Rajput protesters earlier threatened to behead Mr Bhansali and maim Deepika by chopping off her nose.
A media statement released by a spoke-sperson of Viacom 18 said, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati, has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1.” “We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course,” a Viacom 18 statement said. The film, which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing opposition for a year now as several right-wing groups have claimed that the film has sought to distorted historical facts to project the Rajput queen in poor light.
Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a right-wing group in Rajasthan, is among those that have been strongly opposing the release of the film. On November 14, the group even vandalised a theatre in Kota, Rajasthan, for screening the film’s trailer. In January 2017, Mr Bhansali, the film’s director, was roughed up by members of the Karni Sena in Jaipur. The film’s sets were also vandalised in Jaipur and Kolhapur.
The filmmaker’s statement said, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures has created a beautiful cinematic masterpiece in Padmavati that captures Rajput valor, dignity and tradition in all its glory. The film is an eloquent portrayal of a tale that will fill every Indian with pride and showcase our country’s story-telling prowess across the globe.”
The filmmaker said, “We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences.”
