Fanatics, primarily members of Shree Rajput Karni Sena, Jharkhand, have threatened cinema hall and multiplex owners to support their decision of banning the multi-starrer flick, Padmaavat. Several small caste based organizations are against the screening of Padmaavat regardless of getting clean chit and round of clarification from the filmmakers.
The brigade that is protesting against the contents shown in the movie had written to the owners of cinema halls, multiplexes on January 21. According to the members of Shree Rajput Karni Sena, the protest is likely to get intensified, if the owners of cinema halls do not ban the movie. The ban which is called on two major grounds—fabrication of historical facts and representation of women of Rajput community instead of settling down is likely to get exaggerated.
linking it with the honour while blaming the filmmakers responsible for hurting the sentiments of a particular Hindu community, State, General Secretary, Shree Rajput Karni Sena, Pravin Singh, said, “We do not want any ruckus but presenting distorted facts about a community through a feature film will not be tolerated. We have requested the cinema hall owners humbly to ban the movie. If our request is taken for granted, the organization will stage a massive protest on the releasing day of the film.”
Even after the Apex Court clearance and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) approval, the protesters are still adamant over banning the film. “We are standing for the rights of Hindus. We have the support of groups like Bajrang Dal, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha etc. Attempts were made earlier to suppress our voices but all the right-wing organizations are united on this,” Singh further added.
Meanwhile, several cinema hall owners, after the incident that took place on January 21at Sujata Cinema Hall where again the protestors destroyed the film posters has written to SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi asking for police protection on the release day.
Ricky Kumar of Sujata Cinema said, “The movie owners have conducted a meeting with the members of Rajput Karni Sena and have also submitted a letter to SSP. Though SSP has assured support but we are in dilemma on screening the movie.”
Similarly, other multiplex owners also appeared in quandary over screening this movie that has gained much mileage from the controversy. An official of SRS Cinema said, “We are yet to decide that whether the film will be screened in our theater or not. Also, we are yet to receive the schedule (timing) from our head-office.”
The movie which is based on an adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic Padmavat will be released nationwide on January 25.
The right-wing organizations had already planned their strategy against the movie’s release.
In November 2017, to show their rage, agitators had burnt the posters of the movie here in the State Capital. As many as 50 protesters had created uproar near cinema halls and threatened theatre owners then that they would stage massive protests if the film is screened at respective cinema halls.