As protests against period drama Padmavati for allegedly distorting historical facts and hurting sentiments intensified on Friday in many parts of India, particularly in Rajasthan and Haryana, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Friday said it has sent Sanjay leela Bhansali-directed film back to the makers as the application for the certification was “incomplete”. The source, however, refused to divulge details of the “deficiency in the application” on account of which it was returned to the makers for rectification.
According to the CBFC, the movie, which has triggered protests by several Rajput groups, will be reviewed as per the set norms once it is sent back to the board after sorting out the issue. “The film was submitted for certification last week. We examined the documents, as we normally do. It was conveyed to the makers that their application was incomplete. They had to rectify and send it back, we will view it when it comes back to us,” a source in the CBFC told PTI, adding, “When they (makers) rectify the deficiency we will again scrutinise
it once more and when the turn comes we will examine it (film for certification).”
Meanwhile, a fresh plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Friday to remove alleged objectionable scenes and registration of an FIR against the makers of Padmavati. A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud agreed to hear the plea but refused for urgent listing of the matter.
Rajasthan was on Friday rocked by fresh protests against the flick Padmavati with protesters blocking entry to the Chittor Fort and burning effigies of Bhansali even as more political leaders joined the chorus against the movie’s release. Members of the Sarv Samaj Sanghthan, including Rajput Karni Sena, picketed at the entrance of the fort, a UNESCO world heritage site which houses Padmini’s Palace, demanding a ban on the controversial film. Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said in Bengaluru that if the film was not banned, the organisation would further intensify its agitation across the country.
Member of Parliament CP Joshi met the protesters and assured that their sentiments would be conveyed to the people concerned, Chittorgarh District Collector Indrajeet Singh said. He said the Rajasthan Tourism Develo-pment Corporation decided not to stop the Palace on Wheels train at Chittorgarh in order to avoid any inconvenience to passengers. In Jaipur, the members of Sarv Samaj demonstrated outside a multiplex in Vaishali Nagar, where the movie was scheduled to be screened, and also burnt Bhansali’s effigy.
In Bikaner, Bajrang Dal activists burnt Bhansali’s effigy outside the district collectorate. A rally was taken out from Tulsi circle to collectorate and a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was submitted against the proposed release of the film.
In Sikar district, effigies were burnt in Fatehpur and lakshmangarh. In Alwar, former minister Jitendra Singh demanded that the Central Government set up a committee of prominent historians to decide the film’s fate.
Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said he had not seen the clipping which hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community but “there must be some reason that the people are disappointed and angry”. “It is not right that filmmakers dramatise history for their profit without considering sentiments of any community,” Khimsar said. Several other outfits, including those of Brahmins, have opposed the film scheduled for release on December 1.
Siddhi Kumari, a member of former royal family and MlA from Bikaner, said Bhansali should have nipped the problem in the bud. He should have shown the script to Rajput community representatives before continuing with the shooting, the MlA said. “I have never seen ‘Ghoomar’ dance as presented in the trailer of the movie in the culture and tradition of Rajputs,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rajput Karni Sena’s Rajasthan chief Mahipal Singh Makrana claimed that he received a call from a Pakistani number threatening to kill lokendra Kalvi, the organisation’s chief, with a bomb and told them to stop their protest. Makrana said he had received the call from a Karachi-based person on Thursday reminding him of the 1993 bomb blasts. “We have been saying that the film has been funded by terror outfits. It should be investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI,” Makrana said.