'Padmavat' will not be released in Rajasthan: Raje

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today announced that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film “Padmavati”, retitled “Padmavat”, will not release in the state on January 25.

Honouring the sentiments of the people of the state, the film will not be released in Rajasthan, she said in a statement here.

Following the announcement, state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, the Rajasthan BJP chief and several Rajput organisations spoke out against the movie.

“The sacrifice of Rani Padmini is a matter of pride for the state and she is not just a chapter of history for us,” Raje said.

The film, mired in controversy over its plot line, has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which has asked its makers to change the title and suggested other modifications.

Though Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Bhansali have not released an official statement yet, sources in the production house said the film will release on January 25, a day before Republic Day.

The period romance that features Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in lead roles was earlier scheduled to be released on December 1.

“Rani Padmini is our self-respect and we will not let it hurt in any case. Directions in this regard have been given to Rajasthan Home minister,” she said.

The chief minister has already written to the Centre on the issues related to the film and it will not be released in Rajasthan, Kataria told reporters.

BJP state president Ashok Parnami said that if the film has some controversial scenes, then it will not be tolerated and protests will continue.

There will be agitations if the history of Rajasthan is distorted in the movie, he said 

Outfits representing the Rajput community held a combined press conference at the Rajput Sabha Bhawan here.

President of the Shree Rajput Sabha, Giriraj Singh Lotwara, said that it was unfortunate that the censor board wanted to favour the producers instead of considering recommendations of the panel that reviewed the movie.

The CBFC had appointed a special panel to review the film as many Rajput organisations were up in arms against the portrayal of queen Padmini in the film even though historians are divide on whether she actually existed.

“We will give a reply to the BJP in the bypolls (in the Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha seats and the Mandalgarh Assembly) scheduled in the state. It will be our target to have the BJP defeated,” Lotwara said at the press conference.

The BJP-led state government was trying to crush Rajputs.

Changing the name of the film cannot change the facts, president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said.

“We will not let the film release in the country. We have been protesting peacefully for the last one year. If the film is released on January 25, then theatres will burn,” he said.

Shree Rajput Karni Sena Mahipal chief Singh Makrana said that till now, protests have been organised keeping law and order in mind.

In November, Raje wrote to the Centre, saying that the film would not be released in Rajasthan, unless the suggestions given by her to the Union Information and Broadcasting minister were considered.