Opinion: For Padmaavat, next challenge is movie hall owners
Padmavat
A close family member of Sanjay Bhansali said. “It’s great to hear the Supreme Court lift the ban. But will the States pay ahead? And more importantly, will the fringe groups listen to the verdict?”
On Wednesday there was uncertainty and fear surrounding the future ofPadmavati. Will the producers Viacom 18 Motion Pictures actually be able to release the film in spite of the threat? The fringe group claiming to represent the Rajputcommunity has sent out threatening letters to individual multiplex theatres across the country.
A worried manager of a leading multiplex told me, “Even if we overlook the threat and decide to releasethefilm the mall owners would be worried about the securityof the shoppers.So if the mall owner says no, we can’t releasePadmaavat. And what about the patrons who come to seePadMan?They will be scared away because of the violenttreatsforPadamavat.”
But on Thursday the clouds of doubts were partially dispelled when the honourable Supreme Court ruled against the ban imposed on the film by 4 Indian states.
Not just SanjayLeelaBhansalithe entire film industry, petrified to speak up, breathed a sigh of relief.Oneofthe first filmmakers to react with unbridled joy at the SC’s verdict was RBalkiwhosePadMangets directly affected by the release ofPadmavation the same day.
SaysBalki, “This is a victory democracy, the rightto freedom of expression and for the film industry being held at ransom by fringe groups. I can’t even begin to imagine the relief that Viacom 18 andSanjayLeelaBhansalimust be feeling.”
It is good to hear a voice from the film industry finallyspeak up. There has been a strange quietude amongSanjayBhansali’s colleagues. Perhaps they are too scared to speak up. Aprominent actor who is a memberof parliament had promised to raise thePadmavatissue in parliament. That actor is nowtightlipped,afraid to talk.
“It is not fear of the fringe groups thatkeepsme from raising my voice in parliament. It is the fear of being proven wrong.What if tomorrow, when the film releases and it has something genuinelyobjectionable in it? Even earlier inBajiraoMastani,Bhansalihad portrayed the Maratha warrior as dancing to an aggressive song.What ifsomething likethat pops up inPadmavat?”asks thisotherwise-fearless parliamentarian.
Wait-and-watchseems tobethe policyregardingPadmaavat. In the days before the release of the volatile film on January25, we can expect severalprivate screeningsforvarious influentialelements including perhapssomeleaders fromthefringe groups.
Backat theBhansalis’residence, there was cautiousoptimism aboutthe SC order tobanthe ban, so to speak. Minutes after the SC verdict the filmmaker who hasn’t slept much in recent weeks was on thephonein ahuddle overrelease plans. A close family member said. “It’sgreatto hearthe Supreme Court lift the ban. But will the States pay ahead? And more importantly, will the fringe groups listen to the verdict?”
Good point, that. Just an hour after the SC’s wonderfulverdict theatreowners receivedrenewed warnings.
A theatre owner inBiharsays he is not releasingthe onJanuary 25. “Even ifNitishjidoesn’tban thefilm I won’treleasethefilm on 25th. I will see how it goeswiththeother theatres on January 25 andreleasethe film accordingly on January 26.”
Long live democracy.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)