Special screening of 'Padmaavat' for high court judge over FIR against Bhansali

The film "Padmaavat" was specially screened for a Rajasthan high court judge who will today decide on a plea for quashing a police complaint against the film's director and actors after watching the film.

The special screening of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period film started at 8 pm and was over by 10.40 pm, after which Justice Sandeep Mehta, accompanied by four members of his staff, left the multiplex. The only viewers of the film were Justice Mehta, his reader and two other staff members.

Heavy police security was deployed during the screening.

Two hundred police personnel, including an additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) and three assistant commissioners of police (ACPs), took care of the law-and-order situation in the city in view of the special screening of the film.

"We had deployed 200 policemen around the cinema hall, where 'Padmaavat' was screened this evening," DCP (East) Amandeep Singh said.

The judge had ordered a discreet screening yesterday evening amid adequate security arrangements after a prayer from the petitioner, the film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's legal counsel, Nishant Bora.

Bora said after watching the film, the judge would decide on Bhansali's plea to quash an FIR (First Information Report) against him and actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone the next day.

Special arrangements were also put in place at the multiplex by its management for the special screening of the film.

"Nobody else was allowed in the hall during the screening," said an employee of the multiplex.

The head of Rajput outfit Karni Sena, Lokendra Singh Kalvi -- who arrived in Jodhpur on Monday evening -- is expected to be present in the court during the hearing of the case today.

The Karni Sena has been protesting against the film alleging distortion of history.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has said his film is based on 16th-century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem, "Padmavat".