Bhansali, Joshi to meet parliamentary panel

Mumbai: “Padmavati” director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Central Board of Film Certification chief Prasoon Joshi will appear before a parliamentary panel today to discuss the controversy surrounding the period drama, sources in the censor board said.

Bhansali left here this morning for the meeting expected to be held this afternoon. “It is true that there is a meeting between the CBFC and Bhansali regarding ‘Padmavati’ called by a parliamentary panel today,” a source in the censor board said.

The 30-member parliamentary panel on IT has also asked the producers of the movie and officials of the information and broadcasting ministry to attend the meeting and brief it on the furore related to the film.
Officials in Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which has co- produced the film along with Bhansali Productions, refused to comment.

“The panel has asked Mr Bhansali and Mr Joshi to appear before it and present their views on the movie. They can present their case before the panel. The members have also decided to call the producers of the movie,” chairman of the panel Anurag Thakur told PTI on November 28. Actor-MPs Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar are also part of the panel.

Various Rajput groups and political leaders have accused Bhansali of distorting history in the movie by using a romantic dream sequence between the Rajput queen Padmini and Sultan Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by the filmmaker. Historians are divided over whether Padmini actually existed.

The Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh film was was earlier scheduled to release on December 1. The makers have deferred the release till they receive a certificate from the CBFC. They recently applied for 3D certification.