<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/always-wanted-to-work-in-films-based-on-social-issues-akshay-kumar-32021" target="_blank">Akshay Kumar</a> starrer&nbsp;&quot;PadMan&quot;&nbsp;released countrywide in India on February 9 amid rave reviews from all corners.&nbsp;

While the film has managed to pull the audience to the theatres, it has been banned in the neighbouring country, Pakistan.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padman-review-akshay-kumars-film-is-warm-relevant-and-serves-its-purpose-32277" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;PadMan review: Akshay Kumar&#39;s film is warm, relevant and serves its purpose</a>

Ever since the ban, women of Pakistan have taken to Twitter to condemn it and ask for a release of the film as it deals with a socially relevant issue and has nothing controversial in it.&nbsp;

Many women have been questioning the intent of the ban with support from some men too.&nbsp;

This is what Twitter users are writing:&nbsp;

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Dear Sir, the film <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padman</a> has been released internationally. Your decision-making is embarrassingly slow. Why should a film about menstrual hygein &amp; cheap sanitary napkins denied a release or delayed? Pakistan deserves to become a part of this conversation on reproductive health <a href="https://t.co/tTzZTDvIg7">https://t.co/tTzZTDvIg7</a>
&mdash; Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/ammarawrites/status/962806993638608896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Yes, Pakistani Women menstruate too. I support <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padman</a> and menstrual hygiene. Ban on <a href="https://twitter.com/PadManTheFilm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PadManTheFilm</a> in Pakistan is senseless. Release it now. <a href="https://t.co/KpsTL6Rc3a">pic.twitter.com/KpsTL6Rc3a</a>
&mdash; Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/ammarawrites/status/962294732918489088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Banning PadMan in Pakistan is another one of those illogical things that simply affect the business of cinemas in Pakistan. 
Menstruation is a fact of life, and bringing it to mainstream consciousness is neither immoral nor un-Islamic.
&mdash; Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) <a href="https://twitter.com/MehrTarar/status/962353264074338304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Against our traditions &amp; culture&quot; Oh well, coz women don&#39;t menstruate here... What stupid people sitting at Censor Board ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PadMan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PadMan</a> must be allowed in Pakistan ! <a href="https://t.co/S7PUfBV9ak">https://t.co/S7PUfBV9ak</a>
&mdash; Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) <a href="https://twitter.com/GFarooqi/status/962412837321805824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dear Censor Board of Pakistan 
Yes! We <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistani?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistani</a> women get our periods too! Every month we bleed, it&#39;s simple biology. 
 
I condemn the ban on <a href="https://twitter.com/PadManTheFilm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PadManTheFilm</a> in Pakistan!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IAmPadman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IAmPadman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnBan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UnBan</a> <a href="https://t.co/mnrNLJkROC">pic.twitter.com/mnrNLJkROC</a>
&mdash; The Lodhi (@AnnamL0dhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnamL0dhi/status/962231453839962114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Banning padman in Pakistan just shows how we havent mentally progressed as a nation. Utterly disappointing.
&mdash; Amna Mazhar (@ozilinaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ozilinaa/status/962365366440792064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Those banning should know this &ldquo;taboo&rdquo; topic is the reason they are alive. No menstration means no fertility. No fertility 4 means no babies. Banners were babies 2 na. Nature se bhi panga. Leh. Apas ki baat. ???? Misogyny much? &lsquo;PadMan&rsquo; banned in Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/ANkxyt194i">https://t.co/ANkxyt194i</a>
&mdash; Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) <a href="https://twitter.com/NJLahori/status/962476125187436544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Some men also showed support:&nbsp;

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Movies like jism 2 can be shown in Pakistan cinemas but Padman is banned. What a shame it is. Its fine to show half naked women and highly intimidated scenes in movies but a movie based on real issues and everyone loses their minds. 
HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY!
&mdash; T. (@Crushkacrush) <a href="https://twitter.com/Crushkacrush/status/962705139923668992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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1 out of 3 women r died because of cultural taboo. Remaining are victim of nutrition and various virus and cancers.most popular is breast and ovarian cancer but still in pakistan, movie like padman is banned.women in centre r aware what abt 60%in rural areas? <a href="https://twitter.com/saifsamejo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@saifsamejo</a>
&mdash; Ali aamir siming (@AamirSiming) <a href="https://twitter.com/AamirSiming/status/962315106536259584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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As of right now, the film has not been previewed by the&nbsp;Central Board of Film Censors of Pakistan.&nbsp;

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The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film &quot;Padman&quot; as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors. <a href="https://t.co/NExGsWGV8M">pic.twitter.com/NExGsWGV8M</a>
&mdash; Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/962591498213699585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking on the issue, the director of &quot;PadMan&quot;, R Balki said,&nbsp; &quot;It is shame that a film that endeavours to eradicate the stigma towards menstrual hygiene is being seen in this negative light.&quot;

&nbsp;

The women took to Twitter to question the reason behind banning PadMan film in Pakistan

Akshay Kumar starrer "PadMan" released countrywide in India on February 9 amid rave reviews from all corners. While the film has managed to pull the audience to the theatres, it has been banned in the neighbouring country, Pakistan. Also Read: PadMan review: Akshay Kumar's film is warm, relevant and serves its purpose Ever since the ban, women of Pakistan have taken to Twitter to condemn it and ask for a release of the film as it deals with a socially relevant issue and has nothing controversial in it. Many women have been questioning the intent of the ban with support from some men too. This is what Twitter users are writing: Dear Sir, the film #Padman has been released internationally. Your decision-making is embarrassingly slow. Why should a film about menstrual hygein & cheap sanitary napkins denied a release or delayed? Pakistan deserves to become a part of this conversation on reproductive health https://t.co/tTzZTDvIg7 — Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) February 11, 2018 × Yes, Pakistani Women menstruate too. I support #Padman and menstrual hygiene. Ban on @PadManTheFilm in Pakistan is senseless. Release it now. pic.twitter.com/KpsTL6Rc3a — Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) February 10, 2018 × Banning PadMan in Pakistan is another one of those illogical things that simply affect the business of cinemas in Pakistan. Menstruation is a fact of life, and bringing it to mainstream consciousness is neither immoral nor un-Islamic. — Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) February 10, 2018 × "Against our traditions & culture" Oh well, coz women don't menstruate here... What stupid people sitting at Censor Board ! #PadMan must be allowed in Pakistan ! https://t.co/S7PUfBV9ak — Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) February 10, 2018 × Dear Censor Board of Pakistan Yes! We #Pakistani women get our periods too! Every month we bleed, it's simple biology. I condemn the ban on @PadManTheFilm in Pakistan!#IAmPadman #Padman #UnBan pic.twitter.com/mnrNLJkROC — The Lodhi (@AnnamL0dhi) February 10, 2018 × Banning padman in Pakistan just shows how we havent mentally progressed as a nation. Utterly disappointing. — Amna Mazhar (@ozilinaa) February 10, 2018 × Those banning should know this “taboo” topic is the reason they are alive. No menstration means no fertility. No fertility 4 means no babies. Banners were babies 2 na. Nature se bhi panga. Leh. Apas ki baat. ???? Misogyny much? ‘PadMan’ banned in Pakistan https://t.co/ANkxyt194i — Nadia Jamil (@NJLahori) February 10, 2018 × Some men also showed support: Movies like jism 2 can be shown in Pakistan cinemas but Padman is banned. What a shame it is. Its fine to show half naked women and highly intimidated scenes in movies but a movie based on real issues and everyone loses their minds. HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY! — T. (@Crushkacrush) February 11, 2018 × 1 out of 3 women r died because of cultural taboo. Remaining are victim of nutrition and various virus and cancers.most popular is breast and ovarian cancer but still in pakistan, movie like padman is banned.women in centre r aware what abt 60%in rural areas? @saifsamejo — Ali aamir siming (@AamirSiming) February 10, 2018 × As of right now, the film has not been previewed by the Central Board of Film Censors of Pakistan. The decision to issue an NOC by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting National History and Literary Heritage is yet to be taken on the release of a foreign feature film "Padman" as the film has not yet been pre-viewed by the Central Board of Film Censors. pic.twitter.com/NExGsWGV8M — Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 11, 2018 × Speaking on the issue, the director of "PadMan", R Balki said, "It is shame that a film that endeavours to eradicate the stigma towards menstrual hygiene is being seen in this negative light."

Pakistani women demand 'PadMan' release, say 'We bleed too'

When Karni Sena threatened to behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone most expected the stars along with Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Kapoor to speak out. But contrary to expectations, the film&#39;s cast maintained an eerie silence over the matter.&nbsp; 
 
In a recent interview, Ranveer revealed that when he first heard Karni Sena issuing threats to chop off Deepika&#39;s nose, he was angry and wanted to react but was asked not to. &quot;I was filled with rage. There&rsquo;s no doubt about that. I had a very strong urge to act out, to speak out, but I was given strict instructions not to. And I had to respect that because I was not at the forefront of this fight. It&rsquo;s the prerogative of the producers, of the director. If they were explicitly telling me that me saying something or doing something is going to complicate things further, I don&rsquo;t want to complicate their lives. I want to do my bit to make sure that this film gets made and it gets released. If this is what they are asking me to do, I have to abide by that.&rdquo; 
 
&nbsp;&ldquo;I could choose to act out destructively but I chose not to. I channeled it and I put all of it into my performance. Whatever you may feel after watching this performance is born out of having felt a certain way,&quot; the actor added. 
 
Karni Sena had been protesting against the film ever since the crew started shooting in early January 2017. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was thrashed and the sets were vandalised in Jaipur. Condemning the incident, Ranveer said, &quot;It&rsquo;s extremely disturbing. When I saw that, I was filled with rage. How dare you do that to somebody who I worship? How dare you go to my place of worship and do what you did? All of these feelings were like a tornado inside me, and I actually had to be calmed down by people around me. Now that I look back, when the film has released and is being celebrated, I think it was a good decision to channel it into my performance because that is my protest.&rdquo; 
Appaluding Bhansali&#39;s strength, Ranveer said, &quot;He took his time to come out of it, understandably. But hats off to the guy when he came back, it was like a mad man. The kind of rigour and energy he was filled with was like a man possessed.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;Eventually, these perpetrators have lost. The film has won, Mr Bhansali has won. It&rsquo;s a victory, the way this film is celebrated not just in our country but across the world. The kind of numbers it is posting is an indicator of widespread audience acceptance, approval and validation. I am very happy, especially for Mr Bhansali, because he has been through the most,&rdquo; the actor said.

Ranveer Singh spoke out for the first time about the protests around Padmaavat.

When Karni Sena threatened to behead Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone most expected the stars along with Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Kapoor to speak out. But contrary to expectations, the film's cast maintained an eerie silence over the matter. In a recent interview, Ranveer revealed that when he first heard Karni Sena issuing threats to chop off Deepika's nose, he was angry and wanted to react but was asked not to. "I was filled with rage. There’s no doubt about that. I had a very strong urge to act out, to speak out, but I was given strict instructions not to. And I had to respect that because I was not at the forefront of this fight. It’s the prerogative of the producers, of the director. If they were explicitly telling me that me saying something or doing something is going to complicate things further, I don’t want to complicate their lives. I want to do my bit to make sure that this film gets made and it gets released. If this is what they are asking me to do, I have to abide by that.” “I could choose to act out destructively but I chose not to. I channeled it and I put all of it into my performance. Whatever you may feel after watching this performance is born out of having felt a certain way," the actor added. Karni Sena had been protesting against the film ever since the crew started shooting in early January 2017. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was thrashed and the sets were vandalised in Jaipur. Condemning the incident, Ranveer said, "It’s extremely disturbing. When I saw that, I was filled with rage. How dare you do that to somebody who I worship? How dare you go to my place of worship and do what you did? All of these feelings were like a tornado inside me, and I actually had to be calmed down by people around me. Now that I look back, when the film has released and is being celebrated, I think it was a good decision to channel it into my performance because that is my protest.” Appaluding Bhansali's strength, Ranveer said, "He took his time to come out of it, understandably. But hats off to the guy when he came back, it was like a mad man. The kind of rigour and energy he was filled with was like a man possessed.” “Eventually, these perpetrators have lost. The film has won, Mr Bhansali has won. It’s a victory, the way this film is celebrated not just in our country but across the world. The kind of numbers it is posting is an indicator of widespread audience acceptance, approval and validation. I am very happy, especially for Mr Bhansali, because he has been through the most,” the actor said.

Ranveer Singh on threats to Deepika Padukone: Had the urge to speak out but was asked not to

Even though Karni Sena has withdrawn its protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat, the film did not release in theatres in Bhopal and Indore on Thursday. Members of the MP chapter of the fringe outfit watched the film late on Wednesday night and continued to oppose the film&#39;s content leading to protests.&nbsp; 
 
It was earlier decided that cinema halls would screen the film in theatres after the police assured cinema hall owners ample security for the film.&nbsp; 
 
In Bhopal, five cinema halls had agreed to screen the film but only in the evening. But after the cinema hall owners in Indore did not release the film, their counterparts in Bhopal also backed out.

The Karni Sena -- after over two years of protesting against the movie Padmaavat -- finally withdrew its protest on Friday, saying the movie glorifies Rajput valour.&nbsp;

Padmaavat starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, released worldwide on January 25th. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan did not screen the film due to threats from Karni Sena.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It was earlier decided that cinema halls would screen the film in theatres after the police assured cinema hall owners ample security for the film.

Even though Karni Sena has withdrawn its protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat, the film did not release in theatres in Bhopal and Indore on Thursday. Members of the MP chapter of the fringe outfit watched the film late on Wednesday night and continued to oppose the film's content leading to protests. It was earlier decided that cinema halls would screen the film in theatres after the police assured cinema hall owners ample security for the film. In Bhopal, five cinema halls had agreed to screen the film but only in the evening. But after the cinema hall owners in Indore did not release the film, their counterparts in Bhopal also backed out. The Karni Sena -- after over two years of protesting against the movie Padmaavat -- finally withdrew its protest on Friday, saying the movie glorifies Rajput valour. Padmaavat starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, released worldwide on January 25th. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan did not screen the film due to threats from Karni Sena.

Madhya Pradesh fails to release Padmaavat in theatres

After all the controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568">Padmaavat&quot;</a>, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has decided to revise some sensitive facts related to Chittor&rsquo;s queen Padmini from its history textbooks.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-ranveer-singh-on-threats-to-deepika-padukone-during-padmaavat-row-had-the-urge-to-speak-out-but-instructed-not-to-32321">Ranveer Singh on threats to Deepika Padukone: Had the urge to speak out but was asked not to </a>

The RBSE is in the process of eliminating and correcting the content in the textbooks before the new session begins in April. People familiar with the matter at the board said some changes have been made with regard to content on Padmini, the queen of Rawal Ratan Singh, the 14th-century ruler of Chittor.&nbsp;

As per reports, the history textbooks in school had been teaching the same distortions about Queen Padmini of Chittor which have allegedly been shown the film &quot;Padmaavat&quot;.

Reports say that people in connection with the matter have already made a revised copy. RBSE chairperson BL Chaudhary said that the changes have been successfully made. He had earlier informed that syllabus in the history textbooks has not been changed since the last 50 years.&nbsp;

The section which states that Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji saw Padmini&rsquo;s reflection in a mirror and was smitten by her and later attacked Chittor fort has been omitted. Also, the sub-head Padmini ki kahani (Padmini&rsquo;s story) has been revised as Padmini ka Itihas (Padmini&rsquo;s history).&nbsp;

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-212-crores-within-two-weeks-of-its-release-31875">&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-212-crores-within-two-weeks-of-its-release-31875">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-212-crores-within-two-weeks-of-its-release-31875"> continues impressive run, enters 200-crore club </a>

While making the modifications, the book, however, goes on to say that one of the reasons Khilji attacked Chittor was to capture Padmini, who, according to legend, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-deepika-padukone-opens-up-about-the-jauhar-scene-and-the-controversy-around-it-31318">chose to commit </a>&quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-deepika-padukone-opens-up-about-the-jauhar-scene-and-the-controversy-around-it-31318">jauhar&quot;</a> along with 1,600 other palace women, rather than be captured by Khilji.

The film had been facing protests by the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-not-sit-quiet-if-padmavati-releases-threatens-rashtriya-rajput-karni-sena-28377"> Karni Sena</a> and other fringe groups over allegations that historical facts were distorted in the movie. The Rajput community led by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena had demanded a ban on the movie &quot;Padmaavat&quot; for misrepresenting facts like Khilji seeing Padmini&#39;s reflection in the mirror even though there were none in the 14th century in Mewar, reports said.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-now-rajasthan-bans-the-film-keeping-public-interest-in-mind-29892">: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind</a>

The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh, is based on the saga of the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.

The section which states that Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji saw Padmini’s reflection in a mirror and was smitten by her and later attacked Chittor fort has been omitted. Also, the sub-head Padmini ki kahani has been revised as Padmini ka Itihas

After all the controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has decided to revise some sensitive facts related to Chittor’s queen Padmini from its history textbooks. Also read: Ranveer Singh on threats to Deepika Padukone: Had the urge to speak out but was asked not to The RBSE is in the process of eliminating and correcting the content in the textbooks before the new session begins in April. People familiar with the matter at the board said some changes have been made with regard to content on Padmini, the queen of Rawal Ratan Singh, the 14th-century ruler of Chittor. As per reports, the history textbooks in school had been teaching the same distortions about Queen Padmini of Chittor which have allegedly been shown the film "Padmaavat". Reports say that people in connection with the matter have already made a revised copy. RBSE chairperson BL Chaudhary said that the changes have been successfully made. He had earlier informed that syllabus in the history textbooks has not been changed since the last 50 years. The section which states that Delhi ruler Alauddin Khilji saw Padmini’s reflection in a mirror and was smitten by her and later attacked Chittor fort has been omitted. Also, the sub-head Padmini ki kahani (Padmini’s story) has been revised as Padmini ka Itihas (Padmini’s history). Also read: Padmaavat continues impressive run, enters 200-crore club While making the modifications, the book, however, goes on to say that one of the reasons Khilji attacked Chittor was to capture Padmini, who, according to legend, chose to commit "jauhar" along with 1,600 other palace women, rather than be captured by Khilji. The film had been facing protests by the Karni Sena and other fringe groups over allegations that historical facts were distorted in the movie. The Rajput community led by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena had demanded a ban on the movie "Padmaavat" for misrepresenting facts like Khilji seeing Padmini's reflection in the mirror even though there were none in the 14th century in Mewar, reports said. Also read: Padmaavat: Now, Rajasthan bans the film keeping public interest in mind The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh, is based on the saga of the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.

Rajasthan: History textbooks to revise chapter about Padmini following 'Padmaavat' row

With three consecutive hits with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Ranveer Singh says he wants to create a &quot;vast legacy of memorable films&quot; with the director. 
 
After working with him in Ram Leela&nbsp;and Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer&#39;s latest collaboration with Bhansali, Padmaavat&nbsp;has given the actor his biggest hit and one of his most critically-acclaimed performances. 
 
Speaking at an event here last night, Ranveer told reporters, &quot;I am ready to do anything for Mr. Bhansali! I understand too well that our collaboration is very special, and a lot of people recognise that, I recognise it too. I hope to do more films with him, and I hope that I am able to create a vast legacy of memorable films with such a special filmmaker.&quot; 
 
As Alauddin Khilji, Ranveer garnered lots of praise for his performance in the recently-released Padmaavat. The film, which already crossed Rs 200 crore at the box office, has overwhelmed the actor. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t get too carried away with success, neither do I get too bogged down by failure. What&#39;s most important for me is that you deliver on your promise to the audience. I have pledged to try and be the best entertainer that I can possibly be, and to see the kind of response, love and praise that people are showering on our performance is extremely heartening for me. 
 
&quot;It fills me with more motivation to go out and work even harder and keep doing good work. Of course, Padmaavat&nbsp;will be a gem in my filmography. It is one of those rare successes that get the kind of critical acclaim that it has, as well as the commercial success. It&#39;s been an avalanche of love coming from everywhere and it is quite overwhelming,&quot; he added. 
 
The actor is currently in the midst of shooting his next with Zoya Akhtar&#39;s Gully Boy, in which he plays a street rapper. 
 
&quot;I haven&#39;t really had the time to celebrate, I have been shooting Gully Boy&nbsp;every day and it is going extremely well. Things are just flowing along sparklingly, delightfully with Zoya (Akhtar) and Alia (Bhatt). I am really enjoying the shooting process. 
 
&quot;Honestly, what more can I ask for, it is my greatest gift that I can go to a film set every day and do what I love doing,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

After working with him in Ram Leela and Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer's latest collaboration with Bhansali, Padmaavat has given the actor his biggest hit

With three consecutive hits with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actor Ranveer Singh says he wants to create a "vast legacy of memorable films" with the director. After working with him in Ram Leela and Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer's latest collaboration with Bhansali, Padmaavat has given the actor his biggest hit and one of his most critically-acclaimed performances. Speaking at an event here last night, Ranveer told reporters, "I am ready to do anything for Mr. Bhansali! I understand too well that our collaboration is very special, and a lot of people recognise that, I recognise it too. I hope to do more films with him, and I hope that I am able to create a vast legacy of memorable films with such a special filmmaker." As Alauddin Khilji, Ranveer garnered lots of praise for his performance in the recently-released Padmaavat. The film, which already crossed Rs 200 crore at the box office, has overwhelmed the actor. "I don't get too carried away with success, neither do I get too bogged down by failure. What's most important for me is that you deliver on your promise to the audience. I have pledged to try and be the best entertainer that I can possibly be, and to see the kind of response, love and praise that people are showering on our performance is extremely heartening for me. "It fills me with more motivation to go out and work even harder and keep doing good work. Of course, Padmaavat will be a gem in my filmography. It is one of those rare successes that get the kind of critical acclaim that it has, as well as the commercial success. It's been an avalanche of love coming from everywhere and it is quite overwhelming," he added. The actor is currently in the midst of shooting his next with Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy, in which he plays a street rapper. "I haven't really had the time to celebrate, I have been shooting Gully Boy every day and it is going extremely well. Things are just flowing along sparklingly, delightfully with Zoya (Akhtar) and Alia (Bhatt). I am really enjoying the shooting process. "Honestly, what more can I ask for, it is my greatest gift that I can go to a film set every day and do what I love doing," he said.

Ranveer Singh wants to create a 'vast legacy of memorable films' with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

They may be tight-lipped about it, but reports suggest that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are all set to walk down the aisle this year.&nbsp; 
 
The marriage rumours have been doing the rounds for the couple for some time now and sources close to the couple have stated that they are ready to take their relationship to the next level this year.&nbsp; 
 
According to reports, the couple is getting married by mid-2018 and it is going to be a destination wedding for the two. The families of the actors are yet to finalise on a venue, though sources state that it will be a beach wedding. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Yes, Ranveer and Deepika are getting married this year and it is going to be a destination wedding. Both of them are beach bums and you can expect a beach wedding. It will be an intimate affair though, with just close family and friends in attendance,&quot;India.com quoted the source as saying. 
 
The couple ushered in 2018 in the Maldives recently.&nbsp; 
 
Deepika and Ranveer have never officially confirmed their relationship. But their PDA tells a different story altogether. The couple met on the sets of Ram Leela in 2013 and have been together since then.

The families are yet to zero in on the venue

They may be tight-lipped about it, but reports suggest that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are all set to walk down the aisle this year. The marriage rumours have been doing the rounds for the couple for some time now and sources close to the couple have stated that they are ready to take their relationship to the next level this year. According to reports, the couple is getting married by mid-2018 and it is going to be a destination wedding for the two. The families of the actors are yet to finalise on a venue, though sources state that it will be a beach wedding. "Yes, Ranveer and Deepika are getting married this year and it is going to be a destination wedding. Both of them are beach bums and you can expect a beach wedding. It will be an intimate affair though, with just close family and friends in attendance,"India.com quoted the source as saying. The couple ushered in 2018 in the Maldives recently. Deepika and Ranveer have never officially confirmed their relationship. But their PDA tells a different story altogether. The couple met on the sets of Ram Leela in 2013 and have been together since then.

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh set to have a beach wedding this year?

Aiyaary starring Manoj Bajpayee and Siddharth Malhotra as Army officials finally got its censor certificate on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The good news was shared by director Neeraj Pandey followed by movie&#39;s official Twitter handle on February 6.&nbsp;

There was news of postponing the release of the film as CBFC had not given its makers the censor approval certificate. Reports suggested that&nbsp;Ministry of Defense had some<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-aiyaary-yet-to-get-clearance-from-censor-board-siddharth-malhotra-says-film-will-release-on-time-31835" target="_blank"> issues </a>with the portrayal of the Army in the film.

Post review of the film by the CBFC, Neeraj Pandey&#39;s Aiyaary had held a screening of their film for the Ministry of Defense on Saturday evening as instructed by the CBFC.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-watch-aiyaarys-song-lae-dooba-sidharth-malhotra-rakul-preets-chemistry-on-point-28033" target="_blank">Also Watch:&nbsp;&#39;Aiyaary&#39;s song Lae Dooba: Sidharth Malhotra, Rakul Preet&#39;s chemistry on point</a>

The screening resulted in a few modifications that were gradually accepted.

The film will now release on February 16, giving <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-watch-padman-trailer-akshay-kumar-is-the-inspiring-indian-superhero-we-wanted-26797" target="_blank">PadMan</a> a solo release as it was initially clashing with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/always-wanted-to-work-in-films-based-on-social-issues-akshay-kumar-32021" target="_blank">Akshay Kumar</a> starrer on February 9.

This is how the film&#39;s cast reacted to the news:

Aiyaary&#39;s Official handle tweeted, &quot;Thank you #CBFCIndia! Thank you M.O.D! The final countdown for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 begins now! &quot;

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Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBFCIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBFCIndia</a>! Thank you M.O.D! The final countdown for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiyaaryOnFeb16?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AiyaaryOnFeb16</a> begins now! <a href="https://twitter.com/neerajpofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neerajpofficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@S1dharthM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BajpayeeManoj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BajpayeeManoj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Rakulpreet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rakulpreet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Pooja_Chopra_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pooja_Chopra_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnupamPKher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnupamPkher</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NaseeruddinShah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NaseeruddinShah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShitalBhatiaFFW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShitalBhatiaFFW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RelianceEnt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RelianceEnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/currentshah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@currentshah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PenMovies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PenMovies</a> <a href="https://t.co/B1k3cPi6u8">pic.twitter.com/B1k3cPi6u8</a>
&mdash; Aiyaary (@aiyaary) <a href="https://twitter.com/aiyaary/status/960869381982117890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While the actors tweeted:

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That&#39;s a green light for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiyaaryOnFeb16?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AiyaaryOnFeb16</a> with no more pit stops along the way! Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBFCIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBFCIndia</a> and MOD <a href="https://twitter.com/neerajpofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neerajpofficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@S1dharthM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Rakulpreet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rakulpreet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Pooja_Chopra_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pooja_Chopra_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnupamPKher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnupamPkher</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShitalBhatiaFFW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShitalBhatiaFFW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RelianceEnt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RelianceEnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aiyaary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aiyaary</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://t.co/k8iPJHNdlJ">pic.twitter.com/k8iPJHNdlJ</a>
&mdash; manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) <a href="https://twitter.com/BajpayeeManoj/status/960871194663751680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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And It&#39;s a smooth road ahead to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiyaaryOnFeb16?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AiyaaryOnFeb16</a>! ????????Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBFCIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBFCIndia</a> and MOD <a href="https://twitter.com/neerajpofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neerajpofficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@S1dharthM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BajpayeeManoj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BajpayeeManoj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Pooja_Chopra_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pooja_Chopra_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnupamPKher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnupamPkher</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShitalBhatiaFFW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShitalBhatiaFFW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RelianceEnt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RelianceEnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aiyaary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aiyaary</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://t.co/4t4mKiR66Z">pic.twitter.com/4t4mKiR66Z</a>
&mdash; Rakul Preet (@Rakulpreet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rakulpreet/status/960868995271405573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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finally our censor certificate is here, thank u <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBFCindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBFCindia</a> and MOD see you on the 16th! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aiyaaryonfeb16?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aiyaaryonfeb16</a> <a href="https://t.co/TTSdWWKbc7">pic.twitter.com/TTSdWWKbc7</a>
&mdash; Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) <a href="https://twitter.com/S1dharthM/status/960894641456451584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Aiyaary starring Manoj Bajpayee and Siddharth Malhotra as Army officials finally got its censor certificate on Tuesday. The good news was shared by director Neeraj Pandey followed by movie's official Twitter handle on February 6. There was news of postponing the release of the film as CBFC had not given its makers the censor approval certificate. Reports suggested that Ministry of Defense had some issues with the portrayal of the Army in the film. Post review of the film by the CBFC, Neeraj Pandey's Aiyaary had held a screening of their film for the Ministry of Defense on Saturday evening as instructed by the CBFC. Also Watch: 'Aiyaary's song Lae Dooba: Sidharth Malhotra, Rakul Preet's chemistry on point The screening resulted in a few modifications that were gradually accepted. The film will now release on February 16, giving PadMan a solo release as it was initially clashing with Akshay Kumar starrer on February 9. This is how the film's cast reacted to the news: Aiyaary's Official handle tweeted, "Thank you #CBFCIndia! Thank you M.O.D! The final countdown for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 begins now! " Thank you #CBFCIndia! Thank you M.O.D! The final countdown for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 begins now! @neerajpofficial @S1dharthM @BajpayeeManoj @Rakulpreet @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher #NaseeruddinShah @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @adgpi @currentshah @PenMovies pic.twitter.com/B1k3cPi6u8 — Aiyaary (@aiyaary) February 6, 2018 × While the actors tweeted: That's a green light for #AiyaaryOnFeb16 with no more pit stops along the way! Thank you #CBFCIndia and MOD @neerajpofficial @S1dharthM @Rakulpreet @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @aiyaary @adgpi pic.twitter.com/k8iPJHNdlJ — manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) February 6, 2018 × And It's a smooth road ahead to #AiyaaryOnFeb16! ????????Thank you #CBFCIndia and MOD @neerajpofficial @S1dharthM @BajpayeeManoj @Pooja_Chopra_ @AnupamPkher @ShitalBhatiaFFW @RelianceEnt @aiyaary @adgpi pic.twitter.com/4t4mKiR66Z — Rakul Preet (@Rakulpreet) February 6, 2018 × finally our censor certificate is here, thank u #CBFCindia and MOD see you on the 16th! #aiyaaryonfeb16 pic.twitter.com/TTSdWWKbc7 — Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) February 6, 2018 ×

'Aiyaary' gets censor certificate, film's cast rejoices

Suspense prevailed over the release of &quot;Padmaavat&quot; in the city tomorrow, although police have assured security to the cinema halls screening the controversial film. 
 
Film distributors and theatre owners in Indore had yesterday agreed to screen the film after the state government assured to provide adequate security cover. 
 
However, it is not yet clear how many cinema halls or multiplexes will screen the movie here or elsewhere in the state tomorrow. 
 
Instead of the posters of Padamaavat, those of Akshay Kumar-starrer film Padman, which is scheduled to release on February 9, are visible across the city. 
 
Theatre owners in Madhya Pradesh had last month decided not to screen filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh following large-scale protests and bandhs in several places. 
 
Director General of Police, Indore Range, H C Mishra told reporters that it was now up to the cinema halls owners to release the movie or not. 
 
&quot;We will provide adequate security cover at the cinema halls that screen the movie,&quot; he assured. 
 
&quot;We have already assured the film distributors and cinema hall owners that law and order will be maintained during the release of Padmaavat,&quot; he added. 
 
An office-bearer of central circuit cine association said, &quot;If everything goes well, Padmaavat&nbsp;would be released in multiplexes tomorrow.&quot; 
 
Secretary of Bhopal Cinema Association, Azizuddin, had yesterday said that within three hours of the release of the film in Indore, it would be screened in the state capital. 
 
Of the 361 cinema halls across Madhya Pradesh, owners of 200 theatres are eagerly waiting to screen the movie, he had said. 
 
On January 23, two days before the nationwide release of Padmaavat, the Supreme Court had refused to modify its earlier order, which had cleared the decks for its screening. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had petitioned the apex court to modify its order and stop the release of the movie. 
 
Meanwhile, Rajput organisation Karni Sena, which had spearheaded the protests against Padmaavat, today reaffirmed its opposition to the screening of the film. The organisation said it would stage peaceful protests against its release in Madhya Pradesh. 
 
&quot;As the film has portrayed the history in a distorted manner, we will continue to oppose,&quot; Raghu Parmar, state in-charge of Karni Sena, said. 
 
&quot;We are going to stand outside the cinema halls and request the people not to watch the movie,&quot; he added. 
 
The film is based on the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Film distributors and theatre owners in Indore had agreed on Tuesday to screen the film after the state government assured to provide adequate security cover.

Suspense prevailed over the release of "Padmaavat" in the city tomorrow, although police have assured security to the cinema halls screening the controversial film. Film distributors and theatre owners in Indore had yesterday agreed to screen the film after the state government assured to provide adequate security cover. However, it is not yet clear how many cinema halls or multiplexes will screen the movie here or elsewhere in the state tomorrow. Instead of the posters of Padamaavat, those of Akshay Kumar-starrer film Padman, which is scheduled to release on February 9, are visible across the city. Theatre owners in Madhya Pradesh had last month decided not to screen filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh following large-scale protests and bandhs in several places. Director General of Police, Indore Range, H C Mishra told reporters that it was now up to the cinema halls owners to release the movie or not. "We will provide adequate security cover at the cinema halls that screen the movie," he assured. "We have already assured the film distributors and cinema hall owners that law and order will be maintained during the release of Padmaavat," he added. An office-bearer of central circuit cine association said, "If everything goes well, Padmaavat would be released in multiplexes tomorrow." Secretary of Bhopal Cinema Association, Azizuddin, had yesterday said that within three hours of the release of the film in Indore, it would be screened in the state capital. Of the 361 cinema halls across Madhya Pradesh, owners of 200 theatres are eagerly waiting to screen the movie, he had said. On January 23, two days before the nationwide release of Padmaavat, the Supreme Court had refused to modify its earlier order, which had cleared the decks for its screening. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had petitioned the apex court to modify its order and stop the release of the movie. Meanwhile, Rajput organisation Karni Sena, which had spearheaded the protests against Padmaavat, today reaffirmed its opposition to the screening of the film. The organisation said it would stage peaceful protests against its release in Madhya Pradesh. "As the film has portrayed the history in a distorted manner, we will continue to oppose," Raghu Parmar, state in-charge of Karni Sena, said. "We are going to stand outside the cinema halls and request the people not to watch the movie," he added. The film is based on the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.

Suspense over release of Padmaavat in Indore continues

Karni Sena may have finally withdrawn its protest over the film Padmaavat, but in the past few months, the fringe group has managed to instill fear in the minds of the common man. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-frenzied-mob-attacks-school-bus-in-gurugram-30682">Their recent attack on a school bus </a>is, perhaps, one of the most heinous acts of violence that modern India has seen.&nbsp; 
 
While the protest around the film has died down, comedy collective AIB has made a satirical video on the Karni Sena which is disturbingly accurate.&nbsp; 
 
Featuring a bunch of child actors, dressed in school uniform, the video has them singing about how it is easy to target children because they don&#39;t form the vote bank. The lyrics hold a mirror to the polity of the country right now, highlighting how the police and government overlooked the incident initially.&nbsp;

Watch the video here:&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTIkoRdreZM" width="560"></iframe>

&nbsp;

The lyrics hold a mirror to the polity of the country right now

Karni Sena may have finally withdrawn its protest over the film Padmaavat, but in the past few months, the fringe group has managed to instill fear in the minds of the common man. Their recent attack on a school bus is, perhaps, one of the most heinous acts of violence that modern India has seen. While the protest around the film has died down, comedy collective AIB has made a satirical video on the Karni Sena which is disturbingly accurate. Featuring a bunch of child actors, dressed in school uniform, the video has them singing about how it is easy to target children because they don't form the vote bank. The lyrics hold a mirror to the polity of the country right now, highlighting how the police and government overlooked the incident initially. Watch the video here:

AIB's satirical ode to Karni Sena is sadly on point

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It may not be a smooth transit for Delhi metro commuters heading to the railway stations/airport with a big baggage, as DMRC has restricted the weight of the luggage to 15kg. Travellers using the Delhi Metro from select stations have been barred from carrying large bags, with authorities restricting the luggage size in view of security considerations, officials said.

Maldives emergency: Special operations unit enter Supreme Court, arrest Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed The US today condemned the Maldives government declaring that it stands with the people of Maldives and urged the government and military to "respect the rule of law". Media reports said Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed, judge Ali Hameed and judicial service administrator Hassan Saeed who were in the premises were arrested. Wall Street crash: Dow Jones plunges to historic low, S&P 500 & Nasdaq hit In the biggest fall in its history, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,600 points at one point as Wall Street experienced a bloodbath on Monday. The Dow's gains for 2018 were erased in a matter of hours as 4.6 per cent was wiped off the value of America's 30 largest companies to finish at as it closed at 24,345.75 ending down 1,175.21 points down. 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. Watch: Meet Swedish girl who sings and speaks in Sanskrit Ananda Himani, who hails from Gothenburg, Sweden, is a holistic wellness motivator and a Sanskrit teacher. She has been living in India for a few years now and did her graduation from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in Performing Arts, Hindustani classical and then went on to study at the Samskrita Bharti. Soon, bags heavier than 15-kg to be barred at 20 Delhi Metro stations It may not be a smooth transit for Delhi metro commuters heading to the railway stations/airport with a big baggage, as DMRC has restricted the weight of the luggage to 15kg. Travellers using the Delhi Metro from select stations have been barred from carrying large bags, with authorities restricting the luggage size in view of security considerations, officials said.

WION Morning News Brief, February 6, 2018

The film &quot;Padmaavat&quot; was specially screened for a Rajasthan high court judge who will today decide on a plea for quashing a police complaint against the film&#39;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.

&quot;We had deployed 200 policemen around the cinema hall, where &#39;Padmaavat&#39; was screened this evening,&quot; DCP (East) Amandeep Singh said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-212-crores-within-two-weeks-of-its-release-31875">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-212-crores-within-two-weeks-of-its-release-31875">&nbsp;continues impressive run, enters 200-crore club</a>

The judge had ordered a discreet screening yesterday evening amid adequate security arrangements after a prayer from the petitioner, the film&#39;s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s legal counsel, Nishant Bora.

Bora said after watching the film, the judge would decide on Bhansali&#39;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.

&quot;Nobody else was allowed in the hall during the screening,&quot; 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&#39;s epic poem, &quot;Padmavat&quot;. 
&nbsp;

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 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. Also read: Padmaavat continues impressive run, enters 200-crore club 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".

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

Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s period drama Padmaavat, which faced widespread protests before its release, has had an impressive run at the box office so far by earning over Rs 200 crore in two weeks.

The film got mired in a controversy after various Rajput groups alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

According to the producer Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, the film has collected Rs 212.5 crore since its release on January 25.

The collection in the second weekend was Rs 46 crore. The film enjoyed a free run in its second week with no other major Bollywood film releasing.

The figures come even as several multiplex owners have shown reluctance to screen the film, fearing violent protests.

Theatre owners in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are not screening the film.

Starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, the film was released on January 25.

Reacting to the box office success of Padmaavat, Ranveer said, &quot;From playing one of the most challenging characters ever to notching my first 200 crore grosser, this film has already given me so many overwhelming, emotional and humbling memories,&quot; he said in a statement.&nbsp;

The film has made Rs 212.5 crore since its January 25 release

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama Padmaavat, which faced widespread protests before its release, has had an impressive run at the box office so far by earning over Rs 200 crore in two weeks. The film got mired in a controversy after various Rajput groups alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. According to the producer Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, the film has collected Rs 212.5 crore since its release on January 25. The collection in the second weekend was Rs 46 crore. The film enjoyed a free run in its second week with no other major Bollywood film releasing. The figures come even as several multiplex owners have shown reluctance to screen the film, fearing violent protests. Theatre owners in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are not screening the film. Starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, the film was released on January 25. Reacting to the box office success of Padmaavat, Ranveer said, "From playing one of the most challenging characters ever to notching my first 200 crore grosser, this film has already given me so many overwhelming, emotional and humbling memories," he said in a statement.

Padmaavat continues impressive run, enters 200-crore club

With on-going controversies with Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat, a new one has come in - it has now been banned in Malaysia for allegedly portraying Islam in a bad light.&nbsp;

The negative role of Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the film &quot;gave a bad image of Islam through the role played by a (Muslim) sultan.&quot;

&quot;He is portrayed as a Sultan who is arrogant, cruel, inhumane, devious with all kinds of trickery, unreliable and who does not fully practice Islamic teachings,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.

Actor Ranveer Singh essays the role of Sultan Alauddin Khilji, the 13th-century ruler of the Khilji dynasty, in the film.

The 14th century period drama focuses on the tale of Muslim King Alauddin Khilji, Rajput ruler Ratan Singh, and Hindu queen Padmavati.

On Tuesday, Malaysia&#39;s Film Censorship Board stated that the movie could &quot;not approved for screening&quot;, while hearing an appeal lodged by the film&#39;s distributors, according to media reports.

Malaysia&#39;s Film Appeal Committee had also rejected an appeal by the movie&#39;s distributors in the country to lift the ban.

Bollywood films are extremely popular in Malaysia among Indians, who make up a considerable chunk of the country&#39;s population.

After massive protests in northern and western India, Padmaavat was released in India on January 25. It crossed the Rs 100 crore mark within four days at the box office. It has collected Rs 192.5 crores so far and is inching towards the Rs 200 crore mark.

Muslims make up 60 percent of multi-ethnic Malaysia&#39;s 32 million population.&nbsp;

The negative role of Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the film "gave a bad image about Islam through the role played by a (Muslim) sultan."

With on-going controversies with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat, a new one has come in - it has now been banned in Malaysia for allegedly portraying Islam in a bad light. The negative role of Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the film "gave a bad image of Islam through the role played by a (Muslim) sultan." "He is portrayed as a Sultan who is arrogant, cruel, inhumane, devious with all kinds of trickery, unreliable and who does not fully practice Islamic teachings," the ministry said in a statement. Actor Ranveer Singh essays the role of Sultan Alauddin Khilji, the 13th-century ruler of the Khilji dynasty, in the film. The 14th century period drama focuses on the tale of Muslim King Alauddin Khilji, Rajput ruler Ratan Singh, and Hindu queen Padmavati. On Tuesday, Malaysia's Film Censorship Board stated that the movie could "not approved for screening", while hearing an appeal lodged by the film's distributors, according to media reports. Malaysia's Film Appeal Committee had also rejected an appeal by the movie's distributors in the country to lift the ban. Bollywood films are extremely popular in Malaysia among Indians, who make up a considerable chunk of the country's population. After massive protests in northern and western India, Padmaavat was released in India on January 25. It crossed the Rs 100 crore mark within four days at the box office. It has collected Rs 192.5 crores so far and is inching towards the Rs 200 crore mark. Muslims make up 60 percent of multi-ethnic Malaysia's 32 million population.

Padmaavat now banned in Malaysia

The Karni Sena -- after over two years of protesting against the movie Padmaavat -- finally withdrew its protest on Friday, saying the movie glorifies Rajput valour.&nbsp;

A few of the Sena&#39;s members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made. The instructions to watch the movie had come from the sena&#39;s&nbsp;national president, Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi. News reports quoted the sena members who watched the movie as saying every Rajput would feel proud after watching the movie.&nbsp;

The sena added, in a letter, that there was no &quot;objectionable scene&quot;&nbsp;between Rani Padmini of Chittor and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi. And added that the outfit would now help get the movie released in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa.&nbsp;

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<h5>The sena added it would now help get the movie released in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa</h5>
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The Sena had earlier said the movie disrespected the Rajputs, and was especially worried about a rumoured dream sequence between Khilji and Padmini.&nbsp;

Padmaavat movie review:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568" target="_blank">Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali&#39;s visually grand historical saga</a>

The protests against the&nbsp;movie had begun in January 2016 when the film&#39;s set&nbsp;was attacked in Jaipur. The director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had been manhandled too.&nbsp;

The movie was then banned by four governments -- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, who said they were worried about violence breaking out -- but the ban was revoked by the Supreme Court. The court had told the four governments that It was their duty to ensure law and order.&nbsp;

The movie finally released on January 25, after the&nbsp;Central Board of Film Certification asked the movie&#39;s makers to change its name to&nbsp;Padmaavat from the earlier Padmavati.&nbsp;

The movie however&nbsp;was not screened in four states -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-not-to-release-in-4-states-says-multiplex-association-of-india-30677" target="_blank">Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa</a> -- where cinema hall owners said they were too scared, again because of the threat of violence, to show the film.&nbsp;

 
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A few of the Sena's members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made

The Karni Sena -- after over two years of protesting against the movie Padmaavat -- finally withdrew its protest on Friday, saying the movie glorifies Rajput valour. A few of the Sena's members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made. The instructions to watch the movie had come from the sena's national president, Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi. News reports quoted the sena members who watched the movie as saying every Rajput would feel proud after watching the movie. The sena added, in a letter, that there was no "objectionable scene" between Rani Padmini of Chittor and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi. And added that the outfit would now help get the movie released in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa. The sena added it would now help get the movie released in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa × The Sena had earlier said the movie disrespected the Rajputs, and was especially worried about a rumoured dream sequence between Khilji and Padmini. Padmaavat movie review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali's visually grand historical saga The protests against the movie had begun in January 2016 when the film's set was attacked in Jaipur. The director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had been manhandled too. The movie was then banned by four governments -- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, who said they were worried about violence breaking out -- but the ban was revoked by the Supreme Court. The court had told the four governments that It was their duty to ensure law and order. The movie finally released on January 25, after the Central Board of Film Certification asked the movie's makers to change its name to Padmaavat from the earlier Padmavati. The movie however was not screened in four states -- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa -- where cinema hall owners said they were too scared, again because of the threat of violence, to show the film.

Karni Sena withdraws protest against Padmaavat, says movie glorifies Rajput valour

Refuting earlier reports of Karni Sena withdrawing its protest against &#39;Padmaavat&#39;,&nbsp;Karni Sena leaders Lokendra Singh Kalvi and Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on Saturday said they will continue their protest.&nbsp;

Kalvi heads Shree Rajput Karni Sena and Gogamedi is the chief of the other group with a similar name - Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karni-sena-withdraws-protests-against-padmaavat-says-movie-glorifies-rajput-valour-31653"> Karni Sena withdraws protest against </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karni-sena-withdraws-protests-against-padmaavat-says-movie-glorifies-rajput-valour-31653">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karni-sena-withdraws-protests-against-padmaavat-says-movie-glorifies-rajput-valour-31653">, says movie glorifies Rajput valour</a>

&quot;There were two issues: one related to the&nbsp;faith and the other with history. The filmmaker has made changes with respect to the faith of the Rajput community but the distortion of historical facts cannot be denied,&quot; he told reporters at a separate press conference.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/never-felt-like-giving-up-sanjay-bhansali-on-padmaavat-31601">Never felt like giving up: Sanjay Bhansali on &#39;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/never-felt-like-giving-up-sanjay-bhansali-on-padmaavat-31601">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/never-felt-like-giving-up-sanjay-bhansali-on-padmaavat-31601">&#39;</a>

Kalvi added that his group still opposed the film and the &quot;janta curfew&quot; imposed at movie theatres will continue.

On Friday, there were media reports saying that the Mumbai branch of &#39;Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena&#39; had withdraw&nbsp;its protest citing that the movie glorifies Rajput valour.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559">Shahid Kapoor on Ranveer Singh&#39;s performance in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559">: Would have played Khilji differently&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</a> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

A few of Sena&#39;s members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made.&nbsp;

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-knew-my-character-an-underdog-in-padmaavat-shahid-kapoor-31210"> Knew my character was an underdog in &#39; </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-knew-my-character-an-underdog-in-padmaavat-shahid-kapoor-31210">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-knew-my-character-an-underdog-in-padmaavat-shahid-kapoor-31210">&#39;: Shahid Kapoor</a>

Mumbai branch of Gogamedi&#39;s group sent a letter, signed by Mumbai leader Yogendra Singh, to the production of the film saying they were&nbsp;withdrawing the&nbsp;protest

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559"> continues its dream run at the box office, earns Rs 150 crore</a>

However, Gogamedi later said on Saturday that no such direction was issued to the Mumbai Branch and that people who had their names and signs in the letter have been expelled.

News agency ANI reported Gogamedi as saying that the letter was being circulated on social media and misleading the public.&nbsp;

Kalvi added that his group still opposed the film and the 'janta curfew' imposed at movie theatres will continue

Refuting earlier reports of Karni Sena withdrawing its protest against 'Padmaavat', Karni Sena leaders Lokendra Singh Kalvi and Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on Saturday said they will continue their protest. Kalvi heads Shree Rajput Karni Sena and Gogamedi is the chief of the other group with a similar name - Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. Also read: Karni Sena withdraws protest against Padmaavat, says movie glorifies Rajput valour "There were two issues: one related to the faith and the other with history. The filmmaker has made changes with respect to the faith of the Rajput community but the distortion of historical facts cannot be denied," he told reporters at a separate press conference. Also read: Never felt like giving up: Sanjay Bhansali on 'Padmaavat' Kalvi added that his group still opposed the film and the "janta curfew" imposed at movie theatres will continue. On Friday, there were media reports saying that the Mumbai branch of 'Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena' had withdraw its protest citing that the movie glorifies Rajput valour. Also read: Shahid Kapoor on Ranveer Singh's performance in Padmaavat: Would have played Khilji differently A few of Sena's members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made. Also read: Knew my character was an underdog in ' Padmaavat': Shahid Kapoor Mumbai branch of Gogamedi's group sent a letter, signed by Mumbai leader Yogendra Singh, to the production of the film saying they were withdrawing the protest Also read: Padmaavat continues its dream run at the box office, earns Rs 150 crore However, Gogamedi later said on Saturday that no such direction was issued to the Mumbai Branch and that people who had their names and signs in the letter have been expelled. News agency ANI reported Gogamedi as saying that the letter was being circulated on social media and misleading the public.

Protest against 'Padmaavat' will continue: Karni Sena leaders

Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat released on January 25 and has ever since raked in more than <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-continues-its-dream-run-at-the-box-office-earns-rs-150-crores-31559" target="_blank">Rs 150 crore at the box office</a>. The film has become such a hit among US and UK audiences, that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-watch-padmaavat-fever-strikes-san-francisco-as-women-watch-film-dressed-as-rani-sa-31316" target="_blank">women in San Francisco even dressed up like Deepika&#39;s character</a> in the film to go watch the movie in theatres.&nbsp;

While the movie has been in news for all the good and bad reasons alike, the song Ghoomar from the film has earned its own fair share of mixed reactions -- starting from Karni Sena&#39;s objection to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-deepika-padukones-midriff-gets-covered-in-the-new-version-of-ghoomar-song-30142" target="_blank">Deepika&#39;s bare midriff</a> in the song to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-reaches-nba-cheerleaders-dance-to-ghoomar-during-half-time-31293" target="_blank">NBA cheerleaders performing the song at halftime</a> in a match.&nbsp;

Now, figure skating champion Mayuri Bhandari has taken the song to another level. She performed the song while skating on ice and created her own version of dance sequences.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-this-mashup-of-ranveer-singhs-alauddin-khilji-dancing-to-psys-gangnam-style-is-just-perfect-31572" target="_blank">Also Watch:&nbsp;This mashup of Ranveer Singh&#39;s Alauddin Khilji dancing to Psy&#39;s Gangnam style is just perfect</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-on-ranveer-singhs-performance-in-padmaavat-would-have-played-khilji-differently-31536" target="_blank">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-on-ranveer-singhs-performance-in-padmaavat-would-have-played-khilji-differently-31536" target="_blank">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-on-ranveer-singhs-performance-in-padmaavat-would-have-played-khilji-differently-31536" target="_blank">&nbsp;Shahid Kapoor on Ranveer Singh&#39;s performance in Padmaavat: Would have played Khilji differently</a>

Titled &#39;Ghoomar Dance on Ice&#39;, Mayuri&#39;s video on YouTube shows her twirling to the track on an ice rink. Wearing ice skates and a red costume, Mayuri is seen dancing effortlessly to Ghoomar in the video.

She captioned the video:&nbsp;&quot;In honour of the film Padmaavat&#39;s release, here is my ice skating tribute to the beautiful song Ghoomar! As a Rajasthani, I skate to this song with pride!&quot;

Watch her performance here:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dHR9oOZDVtc" width="970"></iframe>

Recently, actress Swara Bhaskar raised objections on the portrayal of Jauhar scene in the film which looked like the glorification of the banned practice.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-deepika-takes-a-dig-at-swara-says-you-probably-went-to-buy-popcorn-and-missed-disclaimers-31598" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Deepika takes a dig at Swara, says &#39;You probably went to buy popcorn and missed disclaimers&#39;</a>

&nbsp;

Deepika Padukone performed the hit song Ghoomar which has become one of the most popular song from the film 'Padmaavat'

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat released on January 25 and has ever since raked in more than Rs 150 crore at the box office. The film has become such a hit among US and UK audiences, that women in San Francisco even dressed up like Deepika's character in the film to go watch the movie in theatres. While the movie has been in news for all the good and bad reasons alike, the song Ghoomar from the film has earned its own fair share of mixed reactions -- starting from Karni Sena's objection to Deepika's bare midriff in the song to NBA cheerleaders performing the song at halftime in a match. Now, figure skating champion Mayuri Bhandari has taken the song to another level. She performed the song while skating on ice and created her own version of dance sequences. Also Watch: This mashup of Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji dancing to Psy's Gangnam style is just perfect Also Read: Shahid Kapoor on Ranveer Singh's performance in Padmaavat: Would have played Khilji differently Titled 'Ghoomar Dance on Ice', Mayuri's video on YouTube shows her twirling to the track on an ice rink. Wearing ice skates and a red costume, Mayuri is seen dancing effortlessly to Ghoomar in the video. She captioned the video: "In honour of the film Padmaavat's release, here is my ice skating tribute to the beautiful song Ghoomar! As a Rajasthani, I skate to this song with pride!" Watch her performance here: Recently, actress Swara Bhaskar raised objections on the portrayal of Jauhar scene in the film which looked like the glorification of the banned practice. Also Read: Deepika takes a dig at Swara, says 'You probably went to buy popcorn and missed disclaimers'

Watch: Figure skating champion performs 'Ghoomar on ice' and it's jaw-dropping

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is laughing all the way to the bank with the box office success of &quot;Padmaavat&quot;, says there were enough reasons for him to drop the film but he never thought of quitting.

Bhansali, who has called the film his career&#39;s most &quot;anxious release&quot;, says he faced hurdles right from the beginning and had three other stories that could have made it to the screens but &#39;Padmaavat&#39; was always special.

Referring to 1988&#39;s &quot;Bharat Ek Khoj&quot;, which had an episode on Padmavati and Alaudin Khilji, he said the atmosphere then &quot;was nicer, more creative, more liberal&quot; but no filmmaker should lose hope.

The sets of &quot;Padmaavat&quot; were vandalised twice and nation wide protests from Rajput groups, who said the film distorted history and defamed their queen Padmini, resulted in a delay in release.

Excerpts from an interview with the director:

Q) You were the assistant editor on Shyam Benegal&#39;s TV series, &quot;Bharat Ek Khoj&quot;. In one of the episodes, Om Puri played the part of Alauddin Khilji. Do you remember that time?

A) It was a huge project and they shot throughout the year. Shyam Babu being one of my favourite directors, I learnt so much. I remember being there on that episode, in 1988.

Q) Were there any references that you drew from Om Puri&#39;s part for Ranveer Singh?

A) No... The only thing was there was no protest when people saw it. There was nothing being said about Padmavati or Alauddin Khilji. There was a film made in 1964 called &quot;Rani Padmini&quot;, there were no objections even then. I don&#39;t know why it happened now.

Q) Do you think people were more liberal then?

A) I feel the overall atmosphere was nicer, more creative, more liberal. Now, jo hai so hai... (But) no filmmaker should lose hope. If tomorrow, another filmmaker goes through the same experience as I have gone through, he must never give up or stop fighting. I think we filmmakers love our films so much that in any case we will never give up fighting... Truth prevails, even if it is four months late. 
I had so many reasons (to give up), may be even before the problem started... The casting was not falling in place. There were so many reasons I should have got up and said, &#39;we will talk about this film some other time, let&#39;s leave it for now&#39;, but I didn&#39;t. I went on and achieved what I wanted to and that&#39;s what filmmakers need to understand -- that sometimes circumstances are not favourable to you, but you should keep fighting.

Q) Will you continue to make historical films given the problems you faced with this one?

A) I don&#39;t know if one would decide to say that I will give up making period films because I don&#39;t want to go through this again. Each story has its own destiny. Sometimes things happen which are beyond your control, you can&#39;t help them. But I would only make a film which comes to my heart, whether it is a contemporary film or a period film. I don&#39;t plan. I wrote three stories before I decided to make &quot;Padmaavat&quot;. The whole office was geared to make the other films, all the research was done, homework done and I said no, we are making &quot;Padmaavat&quot;. Suddenly, it all changed. So I am spontaneous. What comes from the heart, I make it, without worrying about the future or the past.

The film helmer said that no filmmaker should lose hope

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is laughing all the way to the bank with the box office success of "Padmaavat", says there were enough reasons for him to drop the film but he never thought of quitting. Bhansali, who has called the film his career's most "anxious release", says he faced hurdles right from the beginning and had three other stories that could have made it to the screens but 'Padmaavat' was always special. Referring to 1988's "Bharat Ek Khoj", which had an episode on Padmavati and Alaudin Khilji, he said the atmosphere then "was nicer, more creative, more liberal" but no filmmaker should lose hope. The sets of "Padmaavat" were vandalised twice and nation wide protests from Rajput groups, who said the film distorted history and defamed their queen Padmini, resulted in a delay in release. Excerpts from an interview with the director: Q) You were the assistant editor on Shyam Benegal's TV series, "Bharat Ek Khoj". In one of the episodes, Om Puri played the part of Alauddin Khilji. Do you remember that time? A) It was a huge project and they shot throughout the year. Shyam Babu being one of my favourite directors, I learnt so much. I remember being there on that episode, in 1988. Q) Were there any references that you drew from Om Puri's part for Ranveer Singh? A) No... The only thing was there was no protest when people saw it. There was nothing being said about Padmavati or Alauddin Khilji. There was a film made in 1964 called "Rani Padmini", there were no objections even then. I don't know why it happened now. Q) Do you think people were more liberal then? A) I feel the overall atmosphere was nicer, more creative, more liberal. Now, jo hai so hai... (But) no filmmaker should lose hope. If tomorrow, another filmmaker goes through the same experience as I have gone through, he must never give up or stop fighting. I think we filmmakers love our films so much that in any case we will never give up fighting... Truth prevails, even if it is four months late. I had so many reasons (to give up), may be even before the problem started... The casting was not falling in place. There were so many reasons I should have got up and said, 'we will talk about this film some other time, let's leave it for now', but I didn't. I went on and achieved what I wanted to and that's what filmmakers need to understand -- that sometimes circumstances are not favourable to you, but you should keep fighting. Q) Will you continue to make historical films given the problems you faced with this one? A) I don't know if one would decide to say that I will give up making period films because I don't want to go through this again. Each story has its own destiny. Sometimes things happen which are beyond your control, you can't help them. But I would only make a film which comes to my heart, whether it is a contemporary film or a period film. I don't plan. I wrote three stories before I decided to make "Padmaavat". The whole office was geared to make the other films, all the research was done, homework done and I said no, we are making "Padmaavat". Suddenly, it all changed. So I am spontaneous. What comes from the heart, I make it, without worrying about the future or the past.

Never felt like giving up: Sanjay Bhansali on 'Padmaavat'

There is no stopping now. Padmaavat has fought hard and has clearly emerged as a winner. The film which released a week back has already earned Rs 150 crores and still running to packed theatres.&nbsp; 
 
Calling the film &#39;Unstoppable&#39;, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, &quot;#Padmaavat is UNSTOPPABLE... Crosses ₹ 150 cr mark... Wed [limited previews] 5 cr, Thu 19 cr, Fri 32 cr, Sat 27 cr, Sun 31 cr, Mon 15 cr, Tue 14 cr, Wed 12.50 cr. Total: ₹ 155.50 cr. India biz.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmaavat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmaavat</a> is UNSTOPPABLE... Crosses ₹ 150 cr mark... Wed [limited previews] 5 cr, Thu 19 cr, Fri 32 cr, Sat 27 cr, Sun 31 cr, Mon 15 cr, Tue 14 cr, Wed 12.50 cr. Total: ₹ 155.50 cr. India biz.
&mdash; taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/959024049497178112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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After much controversy, Padmaavat released worldwide on January 25th. Though some of the states refused to screen the film fearing violence and protest, the film has opened to packed theaters in most parts of the country.&nbsp; 
 
This is Sanjay Leela Bhansali-Deepika Padukone- Ranveer Singh&#39;s third film together and second Rs 100 crore film. The trio&#39;s Bajiaro Mastani also had crossed Rs 100 crore mark back in 2015.&nbsp;

In a week's time the film has already earned more than Rs 150 crores.

There is no stopping now. Padmaavat has fought hard and has clearly emerged as a winner. The film which released a week back has already earned Rs 150 crores and still running to packed theatres. Calling the film 'Unstoppable', trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, "#Padmaavat is UNSTOPPABLE... Crosses ₹ 150 cr mark... Wed [limited previews] 5 cr, Thu 19 cr, Fri 32 cr, Sat 27 cr, Sun 31 cr, Mon 15 cr, Tue 14 cr, Wed 12.50 cr. Total: ₹ 155.50 cr. India biz. #Padmaavat is UNSTOPPABLE... Crosses ₹ 150 cr mark... Wed [limited previews] 5 cr, Thu 19 cr, Fri 32 cr, Sat 27 cr, Sun 31 cr, Mon 15 cr, Tue 14 cr, Wed 12.50 cr. Total: ₹ 155.50 cr. India biz. — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 1, 2018 × After much controversy, Padmaavat released worldwide on January 25th. Though some of the states refused to screen the film fearing violence and protest, the film has opened to packed theaters in most parts of the country. This is Sanjay Leela Bhansali-Deepika Padukone- Ranveer Singh's third film together and second Rs 100 crore film. The trio's Bajiaro Mastani also had crossed Rs 100 crore mark back in 2015.

Padmaavat continues its dream run at the box office, earns Rs 150 crore

There is a new mashup that is doing the rounds of the internet and it is hilariously accurate. Someone has very smartly combined Ranveer Singh&#39;s song Khalibali with Korean star Psy&#39;s smash hit Gangnam Style. And the result is impressive.&nbsp;

Singh energetic dance moves, originally performed in Padmaavat, are&nbsp;apt for Psy&rsquo;s &nbsp;smash hit. Considering Padmaavat&rsquo;s appeal at the moment, this mashup is perhaps the first of many such fan-made videos and memes.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-8xqZrEWQX4" width="560"></iframe> 
Psy&#39;s&nbsp;Gangnam style released 2012 and went viral almost instantly. It was the most watched video on YouTube until it was overtaken in July 2017 by Wiz Khalifa&rsquo;s See You Again.

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9bZkp7q19f0" width="560"></iframe>

There is a new mashup that is doing the rounds of the internet and it is hilariously accurate. Someone has very smartly combined Ranveer Singh's song Khalibali with Korean star Psy's smash hit Gangnam Style. And the result is impressive. Singh energetic dance moves, originally performed in Padmaavat, are apt for Psy’s smash hit. Considering Padmaavat’s appeal at the moment, this mashup is perhaps the first of many such fan-made videos and memes. Psy's Gangnam style released 2012 and went viral almost instantly. It was the most watched video on YouTube until it was overtaken in July 2017 by Wiz Khalifa’s See You Again.

This mashup of Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji dancing to Psy's Gangnam style is just perfect

Compliments have been pouring in from all quarters for Ranveer Singh&#39;s performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat. The actor&#39;s portrayal of Alauddin Khilji is being termed by many as the defining performance of his career.&nbsp; 
 
While his co-stars, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, have been lauded for their performances as well, it is Ranveer who has hogged the maximum limelight for his role. Interestingly, Shahid himself has stated that Ratan Singh&#39;s character was not author-backed, unlike Ranveer&#39;s Khilji. 
 
When Shahid was asked what he felt about Ranveer&#39;s performance, his answer took some people by surprise.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Which actor would not wish to play a character like Khilji in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film? You know, once on Koffee with Karan, Ranveer said he would have done my role in Kaminey&nbsp;better than me... I would have done Khilji differently,&quot; he said. 
 
When Shahid was prodded further on how he would have played the character, the actor took a safer route by answering it diplomatically. &quot;Firstly, I do not want to get into those details. Always remember, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the hero of all his films and we actors come second,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;So whether it is the loud and larger-than-life character of Khilji or the subtleness of Ratan Singh, everything was governed by Sanjay Sir. So, this is his vision of his. What I just said about performing differently, is because we are two different actors and our style of acting is different,&quot; Shahid added. 
 
Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat also stars Jim Sarbh, Aditi Rao Hydari and Raza Murad in prominent roles.&nbsp;

Compliments have been pouring in from all quarters for Ranveer Singh's performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat.

Compliments have been pouring in from all quarters for Ranveer Singh's performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. The actor's portrayal of Alauddin Khilji is being termed by many as the defining performance of his career. While his co-stars, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, have been lauded for their performances as well, it is Ranveer who has hogged the maximum limelight for his role. Interestingly, Shahid himself has stated that Ratan Singh's character was not author-backed, unlike Ranveer's Khilji. When Shahid was asked what he felt about Ranveer's performance, his answer took some people by surprise. "Which actor would not wish to play a character like Khilji in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film? You know, once on Koffee with Karan, Ranveer said he would have done my role in Kaminey better than me... I would have done Khilji differently," he said. When Shahid was prodded further on how he would have played the character, the actor took a safer route by answering it diplomatically. "Firstly, I do not want to get into those details. Always remember, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the hero of all his films and we actors come second," he said. "So whether it is the loud and larger-than-life character of Khilji or the subtleness of Ratan Singh, everything was governed by Sanjay Sir. So, this is his vision of his. What I just said about performing differently, is because we are two different actors and our style of acting is different," Shahid added. Bhansali's Padmaavat also stars Jim Sarbh, Aditi Rao Hydari and Raza Murad in prominent roles.

Shahid Kapoor on Ranveer Singh's performance in Padmaavat: Would have played Khilji differently

As you alight from a taxi in a quiet Juhu bylane, your eyes darting left to right to spot where Sanjay Leela Bhansali&rsquo;s office could possibly be, a police jeep comes into your vision. And you know immediately that behind the intimidating brown gates is where the man is &ldquo;imprisoned.&rsquo;&rsquo;

When the gate slams shut, a name and reference check is done. And then, a dozen safari suit-clad men with walkie-talkies point you in the right direction. Finally, you are seated opposite SLB, who is dressed in his signature kurta-pyjama. His mop of grey hair and dark-rimmed glasses lend style to his carefully-built persona. He is celebrating the runaway success of his magnum opus with chocolate. Urging you to dig in, he indicates that he is ready to talk. And so, we ask:

Padmaavat continues to go through a lot of strife&hellip; 
Yes, but Padmaavat is blessed. There are creative angels who come and bless such films. There is some divine energy that says this is the way it should be. It is fascinating to go with the flow. If you are supposed to face the attacks or these kind of protests that we have gone through, it&rsquo;s a part of the film&rsquo;s destiny. All I can say is that it just makes you stronger and wants you to make the movie better. When your whole being is at stake and you feel that you are going to perish, you give the thing on hand your best shot. Then things unfold in a way. So, from January 27, 2017, when we were attacked in Jaipur to January 25 this year when the film released, it has been one whole year of strife. I cannot describe all that my team and I went through.&nbsp;

Why didn&rsquo;t you speak earlier? 
A lot of people said that I didn&rsquo;t answer or defend myself. I didn&rsquo;t come out in the open to speak or react. But my only reaction was to make the film better. If it hit the screen, which it seemed would be almost impossible at one point, that itself would have been a victory.At the cost of repeating myself, I must say that movies like Padmaavat are destined. How can the same set of people (actor, technicians) who have worked on this film and go to another film, are not able to achieve the same kind of results that this movie has? There is some divine energy. When a film reaches a theatre, that is the happiest journey for me because there is no greater joy than that final lap from the laboratory to the screen. That is what you live for. When the first frame is beamed on the screen, it is the most fascinating and satisfying moment for me even after all these years and so many films. It is a moment to die for.

Do you agree that you have achieved a cult status in Bollywood? 
I don&rsquo;t know who says what. All I know is that there&rsquo;s a madness that is growing within me. I constantly strive to say something bigger and better. There is a time when you evolve. You feel that you have understood your craft, signature and style of filmmaking. You know you are more adept at doing things and find that rhythm slowly over the years. That&rsquo;s what I think has happened to me. I found scale during my Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas days. But the journey between Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram-Leela and Padmaavat taught me so many other aspects. It is very difficult to make a big-scale film. What people call, &lsquo;the big-screen experience&rsquo;, is hard to achieve.

All that I loved about music, drama; all that I have learnt from Raj Kapoor, K Asif or Kamal Amrohi, V Shantaram and Mehboob Khan, I started finding and putting it together. I have also deeply admired Ramesh Sippy (of Sholay fame). I&rsquo;m constantly imbibing the energies of these great men with vision and talking to them. So, I&rsquo;m discovering far more than the basic box-office collection.

You said Ram Leela was a learning curve... 
I started finding the rhythm of the shot for the first time during Ram Leela. I made sure the sur and the scale didn&rsquo;t go wrong. I found some joy in making Padmaavat irrespective of the problems that I encountered.

Is it right to say that you have been obsessed with your ideas long before your films went on floors? 
I took 12 years to make Bajirao Mastani. I waited nine years to make Ram Leela and I had to wait eight years from the time I did Padmavati, the opera on stage, in Paris to get to the film. I&rsquo;ve enjoyed making these movies so much. They were very challenging. How to put things into a big frame and how to spend money are things that I&rsquo;m obsessing about all the time. You know budgets become available to you but how you spend that money in the correct way is important. And I really don&rsquo;t care whether the films brought in the numbers at the box office or not. I never work with that fear.

One never hears of you taking a holiday... 
People say why don&rsquo;t you go on a holiday and I tell them I only want to go to the studio. I want to go to FilmCity and Mehboob Studios and sit over there. So often, when I&rsquo;m crossing Bandra, I make it a point to drive into the Mehboob Studio compound, sit there and just stare. That is the kind of love that I have for cinema.

That&rsquo;s why you have been labelled eccentric&hellip; 
(Laughs) They can call me what they want. If I&rsquo;m happy and I enjoy taking that detour into the studio compound and saluting the memory of Mehboob Khan, then let me be. Perhaps the energies of Mehboob saab will get into me and his soul will bless me. Who knows? I like doing that, so I do it. I go to V Shantaram&rsquo;s Rajkamal Studio in Parel for my mixing. And when I stroll in that place, I can feel his energy and soul. His trophies... the smell in that re-recording studio which has been exactly the same over the years. I had gone there first when I was remixing for Parinda (1989) because I was an assistant with Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

It does matter right that Padmaavat will cross the 150 crore mark today? 
It&rsquo;s so nice to know that the audience wants to see your work. A film without an audience makes no sense. When they say, &lsquo;We now understand your signature and style of filmmaking, so we come to see your film,&rsquo; it&rsquo;s a great high. Whether it has Ranveer (Singh) and Deepika (Padukone which is an added attraction), they come to see my film. I personally thank god for this blessing because even if I&rsquo;ve been cursed with all these innumerous problems &mdash; over the years which I have fought &mdash; inner demons and external problems &mdash; I&rsquo;ve also been blessed by God because he has said, &lsquo;Ok fine, you get a style and signature, you have an audience, you do not need anything more.&rsquo; Who puts in Rs 180 crore to make a film? It is easier said than done. I would say I&rsquo;m more blessed than I&rsquo;m cursed. Even though Padmaavat has gone through so many problems, today it is getting its due.

You have done three films with Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) and three with Deepika. Is it time to look for a new muse? 
Deepika is so fabulous; she is such a jaan. I just love her. All her hard work and brilliance that she brings to the set is effortless. She does her preparation but there is none of the&mdash;I AM PREPARED FOR A ROLE&mdash;heaviness around her. It is done with so much silence. It&rsquo;s such a pleasure to work with someone who does what she is doing at that moment with absolute honesty. She&rsquo;s an actor who feels so honestly and simply, but her performances are detailed and nuanced. I&rsquo;m not done with her yet.

What about Ranveer Singh who seems to be your favourite? 
No other filmmaker understands Ranveer the way I do. Ranveer and I have a great chemistry and understanding. I know how to direct him and I&rsquo;m aware about his limitations and strengths. I know what to do with him. He&rsquo;s a very special actor. He has so much energy. I only feel he puts too much effort into &lsquo;I did my research and I went here and did that&rsquo;, all that I understand. For him to pursue his greatness, he has to be a little more effortless. He is fantastic. I am not done with him either.

Shahid was the new energy on your set? 
Shahid was a new energy on set because I hadn&rsquo;t worked with him before. It was interesting to see how a new actor works. He is a great-looking kid. He is extremely talented and so effortless. He is constantly wanting to become better. He would say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m unhappy with that shot. Can I do this better?&rsquo; And I would tell him, &lsquo;Can you stop pushing yourself. And punishing yourself because I know what I want from you.&rsquo; It was great working with him. He gave Maharawal Ratan Singh such dignity and silence. It was a nuanced and delicate performance. I&rsquo;m so proud of what he has done in this film. Ranveer obviously had the author-backed role and he has come out with flying colours in it because of the range, but to play a straight and understated part, yet to make your presence felt is very difficult. Deepika and Shahid look so good together. I wish they do more films with each other.

Aren&rsquo;t you being too harsh on yourself by completely isolating yourself from the world? 
I&rsquo;m in a zone. I&rsquo;ve not met anyone. I only live for my films. I do not feel I&rsquo;m too harsh on myself. I&rsquo;m enjoying it immensely. Once I start a film, I&rsquo;m like that person who is sitting in a yagna completely consumed by the puja and the process. I&rsquo;m in that meditative state where I see nothing, but my film. Even if I&rsquo;ve been physically attacked or my set has been ransacked, my first reaction is, &lsquo;Oh god, that shot, which we had set up, was so beautiful! Where will I take it?&rsquo; The humiliation and the anger of what I went through became secondary in so many ways. My film mattered to me. I saw a film called Sant Tukaram so many years ago. When Tukaram was asked anything, he would say &lsquo;Vithal, Vithal.&rsquo; And you would wonder what he meant. Today, I understand what it means because for me it is only films. I have become Tukaram.

Doesn&rsquo;t all work and no play make you dull? 
The emotions that I may deprive myself of in terms of relationships don&rsquo;t matter. I live my life through my films. It is such a joy. Nothing distracts me. I just want to make bigger and better films. I&rsquo;m constantly asking myself, &lsquo;How do I evolve further?&rsquo; I&rsquo;ve done a lot of introspection to reach this stage. If a film worked, I&rsquo;ve never got up and said, &lsquo;Wow, my movie worked. Bro, let us have a party.&rsquo; For me, it is how do I get better. How do I get one more star from a reviewer? How do I become a better person and a better filmmaker? &nbsp;Which is why you are finding a slow growth in my films from Ram Leela to Padmaavat. The search for excellence doesn&rsquo;t die. It is getting more and more pronounced. And I&rsquo;m living it completely.

- By Meena Iyer

Sanjay Leela Bhansali opens up about Padmaavat, controversies, and why he can never go on a break.

As you alight from a taxi in a quiet Juhu bylane, your eyes darting left to right to spot where Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s office could possibly be, a police jeep comes into your vision. And you know immediately that behind the intimidating brown gates is where the man is “imprisoned.’’ When the gate slams shut, a name and reference check is done. And then, a dozen safari suit-clad men with walkie-talkies point you in the right direction. Finally, you are seated opposite SLB, who is dressed in his signature kurta-pyjama. His mop of grey hair and dark-rimmed glasses lend style to his carefully-built persona. He is celebrating the runaway success of his magnum opus with chocolate. Urging you to dig in, he indicates that he is ready to talk. And so, we ask: Padmaavat continues to go through a lot of strife… Yes, but Padmaavat is blessed. There are creative angels who come and bless such films. There is some divine energy that says this is the way it should be. It is fascinating to go with the flow. If you are supposed to face the attacks or these kind of protests that we have gone through, it’s a part of the film’s destiny. All I can say is that it just makes you stronger and wants you to make the movie better. When your whole being is at stake and you feel that you are going to perish, you give the thing on hand your best shot. Then things unfold in a way. So, from January 27, 2017, when we were attacked in Jaipur to January 25 this year when the film released, it has been one whole year of strife. I cannot describe all that my team and I went through. Why didn’t you speak earlier? A lot of people said that I didn’t answer or defend myself. I didn’t come out in the open to speak or react. But my only reaction was to make the film better. If it hit the screen, which it seemed would be almost impossible at one point, that itself would have been a victory.At the cost of repeating myself, I must say that movies like Padmaavat are destined. How can the same set of people (actor, technicians) who have worked on this film and go to another film, are not able to achieve the same kind of results that this movie has? There is some divine energy. When a film reaches a theatre, that is the happiest journey for me because there is no greater joy than that final lap from the laboratory to the screen. That is what you live for. When the first frame is beamed on the screen, it is the most fascinating and satisfying moment for me even after all these years and so many films. It is a moment to die for. Do you agree that you have achieved a cult status in Bollywood? I don’t know who says what. All I know is that there’s a madness that is growing within me. I constantly strive to say something bigger and better. There is a time when you evolve. You feel that you have understood your craft, signature and style of filmmaking. You know you are more adept at doing things and find that rhythm slowly over the years. That’s what I think has happened to me. I found scale during my Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas days. But the journey between Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram-Leela and Padmaavat taught me so many other aspects. It is very difficult to make a big-scale film. What people call, ‘the big-screen experience’, is hard to achieve. All that I loved about music, drama; all that I have learnt from Raj Kapoor, K Asif or Kamal Amrohi, V Shantaram and Mehboob Khan, I started finding and putting it together. I have also deeply admired Ramesh Sippy (of Sholay fame). I’m constantly imbibing the energies of these great men with vision and talking to them. So, I’m discovering far more than the basic box-office collection. You said Ram Leela was a learning curve... I started finding the rhythm of the shot for the first time during Ram Leela. I made sure the sur and the scale didn’t go wrong. I found some joy in making Padmaavat irrespective of the problems that I encountered. Is it right to say that you have been obsessed with your ideas long before your films went on floors? I took 12 years to make Bajirao Mastani. I waited nine years to make Ram Leela and I had to wait eight years from the time I did Padmavati, the opera on stage, in Paris to get to the film. I’ve enjoyed making these movies so much. They were very challenging. How to put things into a big frame and how to spend money are things that I’m obsessing about all the time. You know budgets become available to you but how you spend that money in the correct way is important. And I really don’t care whether the films brought in the numbers at the box office or not. I never work with that fear. One never hears of you taking a holiday... People say why don’t you go on a holiday and I tell them I only want to go to the studio. I want to go to FilmCity and Mehboob Studios and sit over there. So often, when I’m crossing Bandra, I make it a point to drive into the Mehboob Studio compound, sit there and just stare. That is the kind of love that I have for cinema. That’s why you have been labelled eccentric… (Laughs) They can call me what they want. If I’m happy and I enjoy taking that detour into the studio compound and saluting the memory of Mehboob Khan, then let me be. Perhaps the energies of Mehboob saab will get into me and his soul will bless me. Who knows? I like doing that, so I do it. I go to V Shantaram’s Rajkamal Studio in Parel for my mixing. And when I stroll in that place, I can feel his energy and soul. His trophies... the smell in that re-recording studio which has been exactly the same over the years. I had gone there first when I was remixing for Parinda (1989) because I was an assistant with Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It does matter right that Padmaavat will cross the 150 crore mark today? It’s so nice to know that the audience wants to see your work. A film without an audience makes no sense. When they say, ‘We now understand your signature and style of filmmaking, so we come to see your film,’ it’s a great high. Whether it has Ranveer (Singh) and Deepika (Padukone which is an added attraction), they come to see my film. I personally thank god for this blessing because even if I’ve been cursed with all these innumerous problems — over the years which I have fought — inner demons and external problems — I’ve also been blessed by God because he has said, ‘Ok fine, you get a style and signature, you have an audience, you do not need anything more.’ Who puts in Rs 180 crore to make a film? It is easier said than done. I would say I’m more blessed than I’m cursed. Even though Padmaavat has gone through so many problems, today it is getting its due. You have done three films with Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) and three with Deepika. Is it time to look for a new muse? Deepika is so fabulous; she is such a jaan. I just love her. All her hard work and brilliance that she brings to the set is effortless. She does her preparation but there is none of the—I AM PREPARED FOR A ROLE—heaviness around her. It is done with so much silence. It’s such a pleasure to work with someone who does what she is doing at that moment with absolute honesty. She’s an actor who feels so honestly and simply, but her performances are detailed and nuanced. I’m not done with her yet. What about Ranveer Singh who seems to be your favourite? No other filmmaker understands Ranveer the way I do. Ranveer and I have a great chemistry and understanding. I know how to direct him and I’m aware about his limitations and strengths. I know what to do with him. He’s a very special actor. He has so much energy. I only feel he puts too much effort into ‘I did my research and I went here and did that’, all that I understand. For him to pursue his greatness, he has to be a little more effortless. He is fantastic. I am not done with him either. Shahid was the new energy on your set? Shahid was a new energy on set because I hadn’t worked with him before. It was interesting to see how a new actor works. He is a great-looking kid. He is extremely talented and so effortless. He is constantly wanting to become better. He would say, ‘I’m unhappy with that shot. Can I do this better?’ And I would tell him, ‘Can you stop pushing yourself. And punishing yourself because I know what I want from you.’ It was great working with him. He gave Maharawal Ratan Singh such dignity and silence. It was a nuanced and delicate performance. I’m so proud of what he has done in this film. Ranveer obviously had the author-backed role and he has come out with flying colours in it because of the range, but to play a straight and understated part, yet to make your presence felt is very difficult. Deepika and Shahid look so good together. I wish they do more films with each other. Aren’t you being too harsh on yourself by completely isolating yourself from the world? I’m in a zone. I’ve not met anyone. I only live for my films. I do not feel I’m too harsh on myself. I’m enjoying it immensely. Once I start a film, I’m like that person who is sitting in a yagna completely consumed by the puja and the process. I’m in that meditative state where I see nothing, but my film. Even if I’ve been physically attacked or my set has been ransacked, my first reaction is, ‘Oh god, that shot, which we had set up, was so beautiful! Where will I take it?’ The humiliation and the anger of what I went through became secondary in so many ways. My film mattered to me. I saw a film called Sant Tukaram so many years ago. When Tukaram was asked anything, he would say ‘Vithal, Vithal.’ And you would wonder what he meant. Today, I understand what it means because for me it is only films. I have become Tukaram. Doesn’t all work and no play make you dull? The emotions that I may deprive myself of in terms of relationships don’t matter. I live my life through my films. It is such a joy. Nothing distracts me. I just want to make bigger and better films. I’m constantly asking myself, ‘How do I evolve further?’ I’ve done a lot of introspection to reach this stage. If a film worked, I’ve never got up and said, ‘Wow, my movie worked. Bro, let us have a party.’ For me, it is how do I get better. How do I get one more star from a reviewer? How do I become a better person and a better filmmaker? Which is why you are finding a slow growth in my films from Ram Leela to Padmaavat. The search for excellence doesn’t die. It is getting more and more pronounced. And I’m living it completely. - By Meena Iyer

Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Padmaavat: Cannot describe all that my team and I went through

Shahid Kapoor believes playing Maha Rawal Ratan Singh was the biggest risk of his career as people did not know much about the character&#39;s journey but he is glad that &quot;the hero&quot; of &quot;Padmaavat&quot; is rightfully getting his due. 
 
The 36-year-old actor said there were many people who questioned him for taking up the role, as Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) were already popular. 
 
&quot;It was one of the biggest risks of my career to take a role like this where for one-and-a-half years nobody knew what it is... So many people had told me why are you doing this film. I knew my character is an underdog in the film, I&#39;m happy that the hero of the film is getting so much love. 
 
&quot;Out of the three characters, people know a lot about Padmavati, about Alauddin Khilji, but nobody knows about Rawal Ratan Singh. Now you know his journey was also so spectacular,&quot; Shahid said in a group interview. 
 
The actor said he felt &quot;validated&quot; with the praise that the film, which released after delays and controversies, has received. 
 
&quot;Everyone is talking about it being the top grosser but it&#39;s a great film. We have come a long way, journey of a year and a half... There was a point we were wondering will it be able to release properly. It&#39;s been a turbulent and emotionally draining journey. 
 
&quot;... I feel validated that the film has come out and people have said so many beautiful things about it,&quot; Shahid said. 
 
&quot;Padmaavat&quot;, earlier titled &quot;Padmavati&quot;, was in the eye of the storm as several Rajput groups and politicians were up in arms against the film over an alleged dream sequence between Khilji and Padmavati, a claim repeatedly denied by the director and the team. 
 
The film was stuck with the censor board for a while and had to miss its December 1 release last year. 
 
It arrived in the theatres on January 25, minus the &#39;i&#39; in the title, and several disclaimers and modifications.&nbsp;

The 36-year-old actor said there were many people who questioned him for taking up the role

Shahid Kapoor believes playing Maha Rawal Ratan Singh was the biggest risk of his career as people did not know much about the character's journey but he is glad that "the hero" of "Padmaavat" is rightfully getting his due. The 36-year-old actor said there were many people who questioned him for taking up the role, as Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) were already popular. "It was one of the biggest risks of my career to take a role like this where for one-and-a-half years nobody knew what it is... So many people had told me why are you doing this film. I knew my character is an underdog in the film, I'm happy that the hero of the film is getting so much love. "Out of the three characters, people know a lot about Padmavati, about Alauddin Khilji, but nobody knows about Rawal Ratan Singh. Now you know his journey was also so spectacular," Shahid said in a group interview. The actor said he felt "validated" with the praise that the film, which released after delays and controversies, has received. "Everyone is talking about it being the top grosser but it's a great film. We have come a long way, journey of a year and a half... There was a point we were wondering will it be able to release properly. It's been a turbulent and emotionally draining journey. "... I feel validated that the film has come out and people have said so many beautiful things about it," Shahid said. "Padmaavat", earlier titled "Padmavati", was in the eye of the storm as several Rajput groups and politicians were up in arms against the film over an alleged dream sequence between Khilji and Padmavati, a claim repeatedly denied by the director and the team. The film was stuck with the censor board for a while and had to miss its December 1 release last year. It arrived in the theatres on January 25, minus the 'i' in the title, and several disclaimers and modifications.

Knew my character was an underdog in 'Padmaavat': Shahid Kapoor

Actor Shahid Kapoor on Tuesday said that that cast and crew of Padmaavat&nbsp;had to be &quot;politically correct&quot; as the film was embroiled in a prolonged controversy and that they had to keep a lot of &quot;emotions&quot; in check. 
 
The actor, who played Maha Rawal Ratan Singh in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama, said the team had to endure a lot in &quot;these past one-and-a-half years&quot;. 
 
&quot;We missed out on a lot of things. We had to make lots of sacrifices. We had to learn to keep a lot of emotions in our hearts for one-and-a-half years in check. 
 
&quot;We had to be politically correct. The film had to go through a lot. But, today we feel vindicated,&quot; Shahid told reporters on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018. 
 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-and-wife-mira-turn-showstoppers-for-anita-dongre-on-the-first-day-of-lakme-fashion-week-see-pics-31384">The actor&#39;s appearance as the showstopper, along with wife Mira Rajput who walked the ramp for the first time</a>, for designer Anita Dongre&#39;s collection Songs of Summer&nbsp;was a well-kept surprise. 
 
Shahid also quipped that the controversy surrounding the film had assumed such large proportions in the media that they did not need to promote the movie. 
 
The film, which is based on 16th Century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi&#39;s Padmaavat, got mired in controversy after various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali. 
 
Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. 
 
The film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid, and Ranveer Singh was released on January 25 after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared it last month with a &#39;U/A&#39; certificate and five modifications, including title change from Padmavati&nbsp;to Padmaavat. 
 
Shahid rued the film was not released in some parts of the country such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, but he was glad that it was being loved wherever it had released. 
 
&quot;We are very, very happy and grateful. This country has always supported good films and that&#39;s what has happened. The love and result has been more than what I expected,&quot; he said. 
 
Mira said Padmaavat&nbsp;is one of Shahid&#39;s career-best performances. 
 
&quot;To play a character that does not have the support of many words is when your acting talent must really shine through. Shahid did just that with so much ease and you can see it onscreen,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The actor was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week.

Actor Shahid Kapoor on Tuesday said that that cast and crew of Padmaavat had to be "politically correct" as the film was embroiled in a prolonged controversy and that they had to keep a lot of "emotions" in check. The actor, who played Maha Rawal Ratan Singh in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama, said the team had to endure a lot in "these past one-and-a-half years". "We missed out on a lot of things. We had to make lots of sacrifices. We had to learn to keep a lot of emotions in our hearts for one-and-a-half years in check. "We had to be politically correct. The film had to go through a lot. But, today we feel vindicated," Shahid told reporters on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018. The actor's appearance as the showstopper, along with wife Mira Rajput who walked the ramp for the first time, for designer Anita Dongre's collection Songs of Summer was a well-kept surprise. Shahid also quipped that the controversy surrounding the film had assumed such large proportions in the media that they did not need to promote the movie. The film, which is based on 16th Century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's Padmaavat, got mired in controversy after various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali. Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. The film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid, and Ranveer Singh was released on January 25 after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared it last month with a 'U/A' certificate and five modifications, including title change from Padmavati to Padmaavat. Shahid rued the film was not released in some parts of the country such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, but he was glad that it was being loved wherever it had released. "We are very, very happy and grateful. This country has always supported good films and that's what has happened. The love and result has been more than what I expected," he said. Mira said Padmaavat is one of Shahid's career-best performances. "To play a character that does not have the support of many words is when your acting talent must really shine through. Shahid did just that with so much ease and you can see it onscreen," she said.

Padmaavat cast and crew had to be 'politically correct' and keep emotions in check, reveals Shahid Kapoor

Ever since Swara Bhasker wrote an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/swara-bhaskar-feels-like-reduced-to-vagina-after-watching-padmaavat-31009"> open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over his depiction of the Jauhar scene in Padmaavat,</a> the actress has been receiving praises and criticism alike. While many agree with her point that Bhansali has glorified the Jauhar scene in the film, there are others who have criticised her for her opinion.&nbsp; 
 
After indulging in war of words with the trolls on micro-blogging site Twitter for the actress&nbsp;has now said that she did not &quot;expect so much chaos just because of a word that starts with `V`.&quot; 
 
While attending an event, when asked about her open letter, Swara said, &quot;Everybody has right to express an opinion. I kept my views in a very polite manner and had no wrong intentions. I put forward a few legitimate questions. I didn`t expect so much chaos just because I used a word which starts with `V`.&quot; 
 
She added, &quot;If people don`t agree with me, it`s alright as it is a democratic country. I had no idea that this would create such a mayhem and that people who are not connected to the film at all will get upset.&quot;Bhasker wrote a thought-provoking letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali after watching Padmaavat. 
 
A part her letter read, &quot;You may be wondering why the hell I am going on and on thus about vaginas. Because Sir, that`s what I felt like at the end of your magnum opus. I felt like a vagina. I felt reduced to a vagina-only.&quot; 
The letter went viral and Swara continues to fight a spirited battle against those abusing her on social media - and there are many. 
 
While Padmaavat&nbsp;director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not responded to the open letter, actor <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-reacts-to-swara-bhaskars-open-letter-to-sanjay-leela-bhansali-31169">Shahid Kapoor, who plays the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh in the movie said</a>, &quot;I haven`t read it yet. We have been busy with other things, but I think this isn`t the right time. It has been a tough battle for us to be able to bring forth the film to the audience. It feels great to receive support from the entire industry but it feels odd that someone said something on a personal level. That`s OK though as everyone has the right to say what they want but I haven`t read it yet.&quot; 
 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-deepika-padukone-opens-up-about-the-jauhar-scene-and-the-controversy-around-it-31318">The film&#39;s leading lady, Deepika Padukone, in an interview has stated that the film does not endorse the practice of Jauhar </a>and that it should be seen in the context of the period in which it is set in. 
 
Meanwhile, Padmaavat&nbsp;continues to roar at the box-office as the movie crossed the Rs. 120 crores in five days of its release.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Ever since Swara Bhasker wrote an open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over his depiction of the Jauhar scene in Padmaavat, the actress has been receiving praises and criticism alike.

Ever since Swara Bhasker wrote an open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over his depiction of the Jauhar scene in Padmaavat, the actress has been receiving praises and criticism alike. While many agree with her point that Bhansali has glorified the Jauhar scene in the film, there are others who have criticised her for her opinion. After indulging in war of words with the trolls on micro-blogging site Twitter for the actress has now said that she did not "expect so much chaos just because of a word that starts with `V`." While attending an event, when asked about her open letter, Swara said, "Everybody has right to express an opinion. I kept my views in a very polite manner and had no wrong intentions. I put forward a few legitimate questions. I didn`t expect so much chaos just because I used a word which starts with `V`." She added, "If people don`t agree with me, it`s alright as it is a democratic country. I had no idea that this would create such a mayhem and that people who are not connected to the film at all will get upset."Bhasker wrote a thought-provoking letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali after watching Padmaavat. A part her letter read, "You may be wondering why the hell I am going on and on thus about vaginas. Because Sir, that`s what I felt like at the end of your magnum opus. I felt like a vagina. I felt reduced to a vagina-only." The letter went viral and Swara continues to fight a spirited battle against those abusing her on social media - and there are many. While Padmaavat director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not responded to the open letter, actor Shahid Kapoor, who plays the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh in the movie said, "I haven`t read it yet. We have been busy with other things, but I think this isn`t the right time. It has been a tough battle for us to be able to bring forth the film to the audience. It feels great to receive support from the entire industry but it feels odd that someone said something on a personal level. That`s OK though as everyone has the right to say what they want but I haven`t read it yet." The film's leading lady, Deepika Padukone, in an interview has stated that the film does not endorse the practice of Jauhar and that it should be seen in the context of the period in which it is set in. Meanwhile, Padmaavat continues to roar at the box-office as the movie crossed the Rs. 120 crores in five days of its release.

Swara Bhaskar on 'Padmaavat' letter: Didn't expect so much chaos just because I used a word which starts with 'V'

A lot of reactions around Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s film Padmaavat has been coming ever since the magnum opus hit the big screens on January 25th. While most have appreciated the performances and the scale of the film, many have raised objections on how Bhansali has glamorized the Jauhar scene. 
 
Among the many voices, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/swara-bhaskar-feels-like-reduced-to-vagina-after-watching-padmaavat-31009">actress Swara Bhaskar&#39;s open letter for Bhansali has made the most impact.&nbsp;</a>Swara wrote that how the Jauhar scene glorified a medieval practice that should be condemned at all cost.&nbsp; 
 
Padmaavat&#39;s leading man <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-reacts-to-swara-bhaskars-open-letter-to-sanjay-leela-bhansali-31169">Shahid, on Wednesday, had reacted </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-reacts-to-swara-bhaskars-open-letter-to-sanjay-leela-bhansali-31169">on</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-shahid-kapoor-reacts-to-swara-bhaskars-open-letter-to-sanjay-leela-bhansali-31169"> the letter. </a>Shahid said she was entitled to her opinion but added that it felt odd to him that she had taken it personally.&nbsp; 
 
Now the film&#39;s leading lady, Deepika Padukone, who features in the said scene, has spoken about the scene. While speaking to DNA, Deepika said neither does she or the film&#39;s director endorse the practice of Jauhar and that the scene should be seen in the context of the period&nbsp;it is set in.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You must see the scene/practice in context to the period in which it was shown. And when you do that, you will realise, it&rsquo;s so powerful. You do not feel like she is doing anything wrong. You want her to embrace the flames because she is going to be united with the man she loves, &quot; DNA quoted her as saying.&nbsp; 
 
The actress also mentioned that how it was a difficult scene to enact as it was shot in the summers and she was wearing heavy jewellery and costume. &quot; We shot it in peak summer at Film City in Mumbai. I cannot tell you how challenging it was. After every single take, I would go up to my van, have a shower, get ready for my scene and go back. With my heavy costume and jewellery, the heat was oppressive. It was such a difficult thing to execute.&quot;&nbsp; 
The actress also mentioned that while there has been criticism, the scene has also been receiving standing ovation in theatres.&nbsp; 
 
&quot; When I saw the scene during the cast and crew screening, Sanjay sir, Ranveer (Singh) and I, who were sitting together, started bawling. Everyone stood up and clapped. We are part of this film, we know the story, we have been through the journey, yet it moved us. Then, Janhvi (Sridevi&rsquo;s daughter), who had gone for a screening, told me that people there were standing and clapping, &quot; Deepika said.&nbsp; 
 
The actress has earned praise for her portrayal and she is clear that she doesn&#39;t want to play any more historical characters. &quot;I do not think you can ever move on from a character like Padmavati. You feel a sense of relief and when you start moving on to other films, it takes a long time. Next week, I start preparing for my new movie, so I do not have the luxury of letting Padmavati possess me completely, but I know she is someone who will always be within me,&quot; the actress said.&nbsp;

The actress said neither she nor Bhansali endorses the practice of Jauhar.

A lot of reactions around Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmaavat has been coming ever since the magnum opus hit the big screens on January 25th. While most have appreciated the performances and the scale of the film, many have raised objections on how Bhansali has glamorized the Jauhar scene. Among the many voices, actress Swara Bhaskar's open letter for Bhansali has made the most impact. Swara wrote that how the Jauhar scene glorified a medieval practice that should be condemned at all cost. Padmaavat's leading man Shahid, on Wednesday, had reacted on the letter. Shahid said she was entitled to her opinion but added that it felt odd to him that she had taken it personally. Now the film's leading lady, Deepika Padukone, who features in the said scene, has spoken about the scene. While speaking to DNA, Deepika said neither does she or the film's director endorse the practice of Jauhar and that the scene should be seen in the context of the period it is set in. "You must see the scene/practice in context to the period in which it was shown. And when you do that, you will realise, it’s so powerful. You do not feel like she is doing anything wrong. You want her to embrace the flames because she is going to be united with the man she loves, " DNA quoted her as saying. The actress also mentioned that how it was a difficult scene to enact as it was shot in the summers and she was wearing heavy jewellery and costume. " We shot it in peak summer at Film City in Mumbai. I cannot tell you how challenging it was. After every single take, I would go up to my van, have a shower, get ready for my scene and go back. With my heavy costume and jewellery, the heat was oppressive. It was such a difficult thing to execute." The actress also mentioned that while there has been criticism, the scene has also been receiving standing ovation in theatres. " When I saw the scene during the cast and crew screening, Sanjay sir, Ranveer (Singh) and I, who were sitting together, started bawling. Everyone stood up and clapped. We are part of this film, we know the story, we have been through the journey, yet it moved us. Then, Janhvi (Sridevi’s daughter), who had gone for a screening, told me that people there were standing and clapping, " Deepika said. The actress has earned praise for her portrayal and she is clear that she doesn't want to play any more historical characters. "I do not think you can ever move on from a character like Padmavati. You feel a sense of relief and when you start moving on to other films, it takes a long time. Next week, I start preparing for my new movie, so I do not have the luxury of letting Padmavati possess me completely, but I know she is someone who will always be within me," the actress said.

Padmaavat: Deepika Padukone opens up about the Jauhar scene and the controversy around it

Establishing itself as a box-office record-breaker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s epic film Padmaavat&nbsp;has already earned Rs 114 crores&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-114-crores-within-the-first-four-days-of-its-release-31092" target="_blank">within the first four days of its release in India</a>&nbsp;while <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-is-a-hit-in-the-us-running-houseful-in-theatres-31122" target="_blank">running&nbsp;to its full capacity in several theatres across the United States</a> in both standard formats as well as IMAX 3D.&nbsp;

A hit among the desi crowd as well as foreigners in the US, the glorification of Rajput culture&nbsp;has struck a chord with people who identify with Indian culture and its heritage.&nbsp;

Trade analyst Komal Nahta on January 30 shared a video where Indian&nbsp;families came to watch Padmaavat dressed in Rajput finery. In the video, women can be seen decked up as Rani Sa Deepika Padukone in lehengas and jewellery while also doing the Ghoomar dance before the show began.&nbsp;

Nahta tweeted and captioned it: &quot;San Francisco Bay Area families bought a whole show of the movie theatre (in Sunnyvale, California) to see Padmaavat and there was a dress code &ndash; &ldquo;Everyone should dress like Padmavati. And before the show, there was this dancing&rdquo;.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
San Francisco Bay Area families bought a whole show of the movie theater (in Sunnyvale, California) to see Padmaavat and there was a dress code - &quot;Every one should dress like Padmavati.&quot; And before the show there was this dancing ???????? <a href="https://t.co/PKkEdbLXGx">pic.twitter.com/PKkEdbLXGx</a>
&mdash; Komal Nahta (@KomalNahta) <a href="https://twitter.com/KomalNahta/status/958360109272444928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The film was the highest single-day grosser in North America earning 1.8 million dollars on Saturday i.e. January 27th. It is also doing well in Australia and New Zealand.

On January 28, during the halftime of an NBA game,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-reaches-nba-cheerleaders-dance-to-ghoomar-during-half-time-31293" target="_blank"> cheerleaders performed on the Ghoomar song to a cheering crowd</a>. The video of their dance gone viral and the audience can be seen cheering the dancers. The match was&nbsp; 
between Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.

Watch the song video here:&nbsp;

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Trade analyst Komal Nahta tweeted a video of San Francisco where women came dressed in Rajput attire to watch the film

Establishing itself as a box-office record-breaker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic film Padmaavat has already earned Rs 114 crores within the first four days of its release in India while running to its full capacity in several theatres across the United States in both standard formats as well as IMAX 3D. A hit among the desi crowd as well as foreigners in the US, the glorification of Rajput culture has struck a chord with people who identify with Indian culture and its heritage. Trade analyst Komal Nahta on January 30 shared a video where Indian families came to watch Padmaavat dressed in Rajput finery. In the video, women can be seen decked up as Rani Sa Deepika Padukone in lehengas and jewellery while also doing the Ghoomar dance before the show began. Nahta tweeted and captioned it: "San Francisco Bay Area families bought a whole show of the movie theatre (in Sunnyvale, California) to see Padmaavat and there was a dress code – “Everyone should dress like Padmavati. And before the show, there was this dancing”. San Francisco Bay Area families bought a whole show of the movie theater (in Sunnyvale, California) to see Padmaavat and there was a dress code - "Every one should dress like Padmavati." And before the show there was this dancing ???????? pic.twitter.com/PKkEdbLXGx — Komal Nahta (@KomalNahta) January 30, 2018 × The film was the highest single-day grosser in North America earning 1.8 million dollars on Saturday i.e. January 27th. It is also doing well in Australia and New Zealand. On January 28, during the halftime of an NBA game, cheerleaders performed on the Ghoomar song to a cheering crowd. The video of their dance gone viral and the audience can be seen cheering the dancers. The match was between Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. Watch the song video here:

Watch: 'Padmaavat' fever strikes San Francisco as women watch film dressed as Rani Sa

Padmaavat is clearly making an impact worldwide. While the film is running to packed theaters in most parts of the country, the film is being lapped up by the international audience as well.&nbsp; 
 
On 28th January, during the halftime of an NBA game, cheerleaders performed on the Ghoomar song to a cheering crowd. The video of their dance gone viral and the audience can be seen cheering the dancers. The match was&nbsp; 
between&nbsp;Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. 
 
Here, have a look.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GYt5XWwu9JQ" width="560"></iframe>

The film and the song have been mired in controversy for a long time. A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-student-injured-as-rajput-karni-sena-vandalise-school-for-padmaavat-performance-29634">school in Madhya Pradesh was vandalized </a>a few weeks back because the students danced to the popular song. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-mulayam-singh-yadavs-daughter-in-law-aparna-dances-on-ghoomar-song-from-padmavati-draws-criticism-from-fringe-groups-25461">Mulayam Singh Yadav&#39;s daughter in law </a>was called a &#39;Nachaniya&#39; the Karni Sena when she had danced at her brother&#39;s wedding on the same song. Incidentally, the song had to be&nbsp;modified after the CBFC gave certification. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-deepika-padukones-midriff-gets-covered-in-the-new-version-of-ghoomar-song-30142">Deepika Padukone&#39;s midriff was covered </a>via VFX as former royals opposed the earlier version of the song.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On 28th January, during the halftime of an NBA game, cheerleaders performed on the Ghoomar song to a cheering crowd.

Padmaavat is clearly making an impact worldwide. While the film is running to packed theaters in most parts of the country, the film is being lapped up by the international audience as well. On 28th January, during the halftime of an NBA game, cheerleaders performed on the Ghoomar song to a cheering crowd. The video of their dance gone viral and the audience can be seen cheering the dancers. The match was between Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. Here, have a look. The film and the song have been mired in controversy for a long time. A school in Madhya Pradesh was vandalized a few weeks back because the students danced to the popular song. Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter in law was called a 'Nachaniya' the Karni Sena when she had danced at her brother's wedding on the same song. Incidentally, the song had to be modified after the CBFC gave certification. Deepika Padukone's midriff was covered via VFX as former royals opposed the earlier version of the song.

Padmaavat reaches NBA: Cheerleaders dance to Ghoomar song during half-time

Sanjay Leela Bhansali believes the phenomenal audience response to Padmaavat&nbsp;is his answer to those who have been protesting against the film. 
 
Finally opening up about the trouble he faced over the release of the film, the director said he was deeply troubled but instead of reacting to the furore, which he realised would not make a difference, he focused on making the best possible film that he could. 
 
Padmaavat, which released last week after facing nation-wide protests by Rajput groups led by the Karni Sena, has already become a blockbuster. 
 
Bhansali, who calls it the &quot;most anxious release&quot; of his life, is happy that despite hardships, the film managed to reach theatres. 
 
&quot;It is just an answer to the anguish that we all went through including me, the actors and the technicians. All of us were not being heard even after repeatedly saying that there is nothing wrong in the film. I realised that the best way of going ahead and fighting this is to make the film that is in my mind,&quot; Bhansali told PTI in an interview here. 
 
The director admitted that he found it mentally difficult to cope with the negativities surrounding the film but did not let it reflect on the screen. 
 
&quot;I know I was troubled, I know I was distracted but deep inside, I found the strength to make the film and not let this anguish and disturbance reflect on the screen. In the last few months, I was constantly correcting, making creative touches and taking the film to the next level. That&#39;s the answer to all the objections that were based on rumours and a certain agenda that I could not understand.&quot; The director said it was hard for him to fathom the threats that he and the leading lady Deepika Padukone received. 
 
&quot;The protests were illogical, they had no reasoning and there was nothing to be discussed. It had reached an obnoxious level with people sitting with swords on national television and giving death threats... 
 
&quot;Even if I went on every channel on television saying there was nothing wrong in the film, they would not understand it. No amount of justification would have reached them or been heard.&quot; 
 
Bhansali said he as a filmmaker chose to focus their energies on making it a once in a lifetime experience. 
 
&quot;There was no need for us to go around the town tom- tomming how honest and true we were. At the end, truth prevails,&quot; he said thanking the Mumbai police for providing him and the actors with security. 
 
The film is doing well at the box office despite not getting a release in four states and Bhansali says it only proves that people were eager to watch it. 
 
&quot;(The response) shows that people had so much eagerness to see the film. I can only see love for the film... I knew deep down that the film was beautiful. There were anxious moments right from finishing it to getting the censors and to getting it into theatres... It was a relentless process. It was the most anxious release of my life for sure. I think it is the most anxious release in the history of Indian cinema. 
 
&quot;Lots of Rajput people have seen the film and they are saying this is our glory, this is celebrating us, our forefathers and ancestors and that there was nothing wrong in the film, and what the noise was all about?&quot; 
 
Bhansali said he had a special attachment to the 16th-century poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

&quot;It is also special because I did an opera in 2008 in Paris. It was living in my mind since then and I wanted to make it into a film,&quot; he said about the opera that he directed, based on French composer Albert Roussel&#39;s work from 1923. It premiered at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris and was a huge success. 
 
The director said it was a &quot;rare experience&quot; to see such support from the media, film fraternity and the audiences.

&quot;It is a rare experience. I have never seen or heard of any filmmaker go through all this and yet survive and the film reach&nbsp;the theatres and be loved by the audience. So all said and done, it makes the film special.&quot; 
 
The film star Deepika as queen Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maha Rawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji.&nbsp;

Bhansali believes the phenomenal audience response to Padmaavat is his answer to those who have been protesting against the film.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali believes the phenomenal audience response to Padmaavat is his answer to those who have been protesting against the film. Finally opening up about the trouble he faced over the release of the film, the director said he was deeply troubled but instead of reacting to the furore, which he realised would not make a difference, he focused on making the best possible film that he could. Padmaavat, which released last week after facing nation-wide protests by Rajput groups led by the Karni Sena, has already become a blockbuster. Bhansali, who calls it the "most anxious release" of his life, is happy that despite hardships, the film managed to reach theatres. "It is just an answer to the anguish that we all went through including me, the actors and the technicians. All of us were not being heard even after repeatedly saying that there is nothing wrong in the film. I realised that the best way of going ahead and fighting this is to make the film that is in my mind," Bhansali told PTI in an interview here. The director admitted that he found it mentally difficult to cope with the negativities surrounding the film but did not let it reflect on the screen. "I know I was troubled, I know I was distracted but deep inside, I found the strength to make the film and not let this anguish and disturbance reflect on the screen. In the last few months, I was constantly correcting, making creative touches and taking the film to the next level. That's the answer to all the objections that were based on rumours and a certain agenda that I could not understand." The director said it was hard for him to fathom the threats that he and the leading lady Deepika Padukone received. "The protests were illogical, they had no reasoning and there was nothing to be discussed. It had reached an obnoxious level with people sitting with swords on national television and giving death threats... "Even if I went on every channel on television saying there was nothing wrong in the film, they would not understand it. No amount of justification would have reached them or been heard." Bhansali said he as a filmmaker chose to focus their energies on making it a once in a lifetime experience. "There was no need for us to go around the town tom- tomming how honest and true we were. At the end, truth prevails," he said thanking the Mumbai police for providing him and the actors with security. The film is doing well at the box office despite not getting a release in four states and Bhansali says it only proves that people were eager to watch it. "(The response) shows that people had so much eagerness to see the film. I can only see love for the film... I knew deep down that the film was beautiful. There were anxious moments right from finishing it to getting the censors and to getting it into theatres... It was a relentless process. It was the most anxious release of my life for sure. I think it is the most anxious release in the history of Indian cinema. "Lots of Rajput people have seen the film and they are saying this is our glory, this is celebrating us, our forefathers and ancestors and that there was nothing wrong in the film, and what the noise was all about?" Bhansali said he had a special attachment to the 16th-century poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. "It is also special because I did an opera in 2008 in Paris. It was living in my mind since then and I wanted to make it into a film," he said about the opera that he directed, based on French composer Albert Roussel's work from 1923. It premiered at the Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris and was a huge success. The director said it was a "rare experience" to see such support from the media, film fraternity and the audiences. "It is a rare experience. I have never seen or heard of any filmmaker go through all this and yet survive and the film reach the theatres and be loved by the audience. So all said and done, it makes the film special." The film star Deepika as queen Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maha Rawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

Padmaavat was most anxious release in the history of Indian cinema: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

I never form opinions unless I have lived an experience. I don&#39;t judge a book before I have read it, a dish before I have tasted it, a road before I have taken it or a movie before I have watched it. Therefore, I did watch Padmaavat.

Of course, I was completely prepared to be let down by the storytelling, use of logic, the VFX (something that is extremely important in movies such as these), the regressive ideologies, homophobia, Islamophobia and so much more... but I decided to go anyway. Blame it on hype!

So, there I was watching this great masterpiece of cinema and with every passing shot wishing that the woman in me can sit through these 3 long hours of humiliation. Why do I feel humiliated, you may ask... in response I ask the woman in you to imagine few situations.

Imagine, your father has gifted something priceless to your husband, who very callously gives it away to someone. What exactly will you feel about this? Trust me, you will be very mad. You are going to ask him to go find a replacement after giving him an earful (even if you are the kindest and the most giving wife). That is exactly what the king&#39;s first wife did.

Now, imagine this, you send your husband to get something from the market and he comes back home with a new wife...I know peeps polygamy is not legal. Also, these days everything is really a click away and most of our stuff get home-delivered. But just imagine this anyway. You will be shattered, right? Broken? You will feel humiliated and insulted.

That is exactly how you are supposed to feel. Our director does not seem to agree though.&nbsp;

He has inserted a dream sequence to introduce us to the king&#39;s first wife. And boy, what an introduction that was. Every valid response of this queen was turned against her to establish her as a greedy, mercenary woman who holds pearls dearer than her husband! The fact that those very pearls were a gift from her father and that the king had chosen to give them away as rewards when he could really have given away any other treasure, does not count you see.

While watching the movie, I felt that the dream shot was included because the director wanted (by all means) to justify the king&#39;s roving eyes and eventually his falling in love with another woman while he was out there to get back something priceless that he had so callously given away in the first place.

Did you notice by the way the complexion and the features of the king&#39;s first wife? For those who noticed, I will not have to explain. But for those who did not let me tell you, she was a woman of dark complexion and when compared to the Lankan princess, not so sharp features. So, when the king saw such &#39;beauty&#39; in the forests of Lanka, he obviously lost all his good sense and by his own admission started following (stalk actually) her.&nbsp;

WOW! I did not know how his first wife looked (if at all she existed that is) but going by the casting it seems the director tried to say that it is okay for a man to pursue another woman if his wife/partner does not match proverbial beauty standards.

&nbsp;Greedy, bad looking women completely deserve this, no? Being portrayed as a cause of a man&rsquo;s misconduct? Being subjected to humiliation?

&nbsp;It would be more appealing to me as a moviegoer if the director could have established the other queen as an equally upright lady and not questioned her reasons for reacting in a manner she chose to act in. Or, if that would not be shown as a nightmare that led the king to cross his sand dunes and venture into an unknown territory.

But, remember you have paid precious 500 rupees and too many questions would ruin the fun of watching the magnum opus.

&nbsp;The director stretches creative liberty to the extent where your intelligence as an audience is compromised. Therefore, you find yourself sitting through khali bali and staring at an emperor stomping his feet and making animated (laughable) gestures. Creative liberty, you see. History be damned.

Logic be damned too. The king enters a tent put up in the middle of a barren desert with nothing else in sight and then simply vanishes. His guards waiting outside is clueless about their &#39;Hukum&#39; gone missing till, of course, they enter the tent to find no one there. I had to just laugh out loud. As to how come people just disappeared. They surely could not have evaporated into thin air, no? The kidnapping of the &#39;Hukum&#39; scene beats all logic, if you ask me.

&nbsp;Finally, the pious queen springs into action and thankfully has a war strategy in place to back her noble intention of rescuing her husband. She does manage to bring her husband back to the fort and it is &#39;achchhe din&#39; again at the haveli but I cannot relax, you see. Because I know I am very close to witnessing something that would make me cringe as a woman.

Again, as an honest audience, I felt a little let down here. Why, you may ask. The director had issued a disclaimer right in th beginning, saying in so many words that he was not about to glorify the custom of Jauhar. And I had chosen to buy his disclaimer. But he failed me yet again. The long shots instilled towards the end, highlighting all the rituals associated with this dark custom seemed like a sharp contrast to the message echoed in the beginning of the movie. By the time the voiceover was sounded at the very end, I was compelled to lose faith in the director. There was discord I thought between the words and the intent.

&nbsp;As an audience, maybe, I will forgive you. But as a woman, I find that a little difficult to do.

Despite all this, director sir, you still win. And I lose. You know why? Several women who watched your movie over the weekend told me they had a great cinematic experience and that your work is proof that Hindi cinema has evolved. And that is the reason I lose, sir.

I can write pages and still not be able to explain how much this insult that you have slapped on my face will continue to hurt for a long time to come. The fact that you have dressed this insult up so well in fine clothes and rich jewellery does not make it hurt offend, hurt any less.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

As a viewer, maybe, I will forgive you, Mr Bhansali. But as a woman, I find that a little difficult to do.

I never form opinions unless I have lived an experience. I don't judge a book before I have read it, a dish before I have tasted it, a road before I have taken it or a movie before I have watched it. Therefore, I did watch Padmaavat. Of course, I was completely prepared to be let down by the storytelling, use of logic, the VFX (something that is extremely important in movies such as these), the regressive ideologies, homophobia, Islamophobia and so much more... but I decided to go anyway. Blame it on hype! So, there I was watching this great masterpiece of cinema and with every passing shot wishing that the woman in me can sit through these 3 long hours of humiliation. Why do I feel humiliated, you may ask... in response I ask the woman in you to imagine few situations. Imagine, your father has gifted something priceless to your husband, who very callously gives it away to someone. What exactly will you feel about this? Trust me, you will be very mad. You are going to ask him to go find a replacement after giving him an earful (even if you are the kindest and the most giving wife). That is exactly what the king's first wife did. Now, imagine this, you send your husband to get something from the market and he comes back home with a new wife...I know peeps polygamy is not legal. Also, these days everything is really a click away and most of our stuff get home-delivered. But just imagine this anyway. You will be shattered, right? Broken? You will feel humiliated and insulted. That is exactly how you are supposed to feel. Our director does not seem to agree though. He has inserted a dream sequence to introduce us to the king's first wife. And boy, what an introduction that was. Every valid response of this queen was turned against her to establish her as a greedy, mercenary woman who holds pearls dearer than her husband! The fact that those very pearls were a gift from her father and that the king had chosen to give them away as rewards when he could really have given away any other treasure, does not count you see. While watching the movie, I felt that the dream shot was included because the director wanted (by all means) to justify the king's roving eyes and eventually his falling in love with another woman while he was out there to get back something priceless that he had so callously given away in the first place. Did you notice by the way the complexion and the features of the king's first wife? For those who noticed, I will not have to explain. But for those who did not let me tell you, she was a woman of dark complexion and when compared to the Lankan princess, not so sharp features. So, when the king saw such 'beauty' in the forests of Lanka, he obviously lost all his good sense and by his own admission started following (stalk actually) her. WOW! I did not know how his first wife looked (if at all she existed that is) but going by the casting it seems the director tried to say that it is okay for a man to pursue another woman if his wife/partner does not match proverbial beauty standards. Greedy, bad looking women completely deserve this, no? Being portrayed as a cause of a man’s misconduct? Being subjected to humiliation? It would be more appealing to me as a moviegoer if the director could have established the other queen as an equally upright lady and not questioned her reasons for reacting in a manner she chose to act in. Or, if that would not be shown as a nightmare that led the king to cross his sand dunes and venture into an unknown territory. But, remember you have paid precious 500 rupees and too many questions would ruin the fun of watching the magnum opus. The director stretches creative liberty to the extent where your intelligence as an audience is compromised. Therefore, you find yourself sitting through khali bali and staring at an emperor stomping his feet and making animated (laughable) gestures. Creative liberty, you see. History be damned. Logic be damned too. The king enters a tent put up in the middle of a barren desert with nothing else in sight and then simply vanishes. His guards waiting outside is clueless about their 'Hukum' gone missing till, of course, they enter the tent to find no one there. I had to just laugh out loud. As to how come people just disappeared. They surely could not have evaporated into thin air, no? The kidnapping of the 'Hukum' scene beats all logic, if you ask me. Finally, the pious queen springs into action and thankfully has a war strategy in place to back her noble intention of rescuing her husband. She does manage to bring her husband back to the fort and it is 'achchhe din' again at the haveli but I cannot relax, you see. Because I know I am very close to witnessing something that would make me cringe as a woman. Again, as an honest audience, I felt a little let down here. Why, you may ask. The director had issued a disclaimer right in th beginning, saying in so many words that he was not about to glorify the custom of Jauhar. And I had chosen to buy his disclaimer. But he failed me yet again. The long shots instilled towards the end, highlighting all the rituals associated with this dark custom seemed like a sharp contrast to the message echoed in the beginning of the movie. By the time the voiceover was sounded at the very end, I was compelled to lose faith in the director. There was discord I thought between the words and the intent. As an audience, maybe, I will forgive you. But as a woman, I find that a little difficult to do. Despite all this, director sir, you still win. And I lose. You know why? Several women who watched your movie over the weekend told me they had a great cinematic experience and that your work is proof that Hindi cinema has evolved. And that is the reason I lose, sir. I can write pages and still not be able to explain how much this insult that you have slapped on my face will continue to hurt for a long time to come. The fact that you have dressed this insult up so well in fine clothes and rich jewellery does not make it hurt offend, hurt any less. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why the woman in you should be offended by Padmaavat

While chaos seems to have died down against the screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s epic film &quot;Padmaavat&quot;, there is still something else that is currently bothering the makers and it is none other than <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-live-streamed-on-facebook-on-the-first-day-of-its-release-30768" target="_blank">reports of privacy</a>.&nbsp;

Makers of &quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;have now approached Maharashtra Cyber digital crime unit (DCU) -- state government&#39;s anti-online piracy unit in connection with piracy issues.&nbsp;

After news of their film being heavily pirated on the internet, makers have requested the government and its anti-online piracy unit to look into the matter.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568" target="_blank">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568" target="_blank">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568" target="_blank">&nbsp;Padmaavat review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali&#39;s visually grand historical saga</a>

The Maharashtra cyber&nbsp;digital unit is four-months-old and is established in association with&nbsp;Motion Pictures Association of India, Producers Guild and Indian Music Industry.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-114-crores-within-the-first-four-days-of-its-release-31092" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Padmaavat earns Rs 114 crores within the first four days of its release</a>

As part of an action to stop websites that upload pirated video content, DCU has decided to take action against such websites and eliminate them.&nbsp;

The crime unit was launched under directives of the home department after the film industry approached the state&#39;s chief minister to complain about the losses they face due to online piracy.

&nbsp;

Earlier, 'Padmaavat' was mistakenly live-streamed on Facebook on the first day of its release

While chaos seems to have died down against the screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic film "Padmaavat", there is still something else that is currently bothering the makers and it is none other than reports of privacy. Makers of "Padmaavat" have now approached Maharashtra Cyber digital crime unit (DCU) -- state government's anti-online piracy unit in connection with piracy issues. After news of their film being heavily pirated on the internet, makers have requested the government and its anti-online piracy unit to look into the matter. Also Read: Padmaavat review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali's visually grand historical saga The Maharashtra cyber digital unit is four-months-old and is established in association with Motion Pictures Association of India, Producers Guild and Indian Music Industry. Also Read: Padmaavat earns Rs 114 crores within the first four days of its release As part of an action to stop websites that upload pirated video content, DCU has decided to take action against such websites and eliminate them. The crime unit was launched under directives of the home department after the film industry approached the state's chief minister to complain about the losses they face due to online piracy.

'Padmaavat' makers unhappy about piracy, ask Maha cyber crime cell for help

The trio has impressed the critics and audiences alike. While Padmavaat may not have had Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh sharing any frame together, fans of the stars had expected the three actors to at least be promoting the film together.&nbsp; 
 
Controversies around the film made the makers cancel all promotional activities around the film and thus no one got a glimpse of the three actors in the same frame. Now that the film has released and running to packed theaters, the three actors are seen speaking about the film.&nbsp; 
 
At a special screening that took place on Wednesday, the cast and crew came together to celebrate the film. Photos of Deepika, Ranveer, and Shahid cutting a celebratory cake is doing the rounds of the internet.&nbsp;

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film&#39;s director, can also be seen in the photos.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Beia3Bunl9k/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">New pics! Deepika Padukone and team #Padmaavat post the film screening last week ❤????????... -- #slb #shahidkapoor #deepveer #life #deepikapadukone #ranveersingh</a>

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Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor with Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the special screening Padmaavat ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Deepveer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Deepveer</a> <a href="https://t.co/49mCIGTUXv">pic.twitter.com/49mCIGTUXv</a>
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Padmaavat released in theaters on 25th January and has been consistently doing well at the box office. The film has already crossed the Rs 100 crore mark.&nbsp;

The three actors were clicked together for the first time since the shooting of the film began.

The trio has impressed the critics and audiences alike. While Padmavaat may not have had Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh sharing any frame together, fans of the stars had expected the three actors to at least be promoting the film together. Controversies around the film made the makers cancel all promotional activities around the film and thus no one got a glimpse of the three actors in the same frame. Now that the film has released and running to packed theaters, the three actors are seen speaking about the film. At a special screening that took place on Wednesday, the cast and crew came together to celebrate the film. Photos of Deepika, Ranveer, and Shahid cutting a celebratory cake is doing the rounds of the internet. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film's director, can also be seen in the photos. New pics! Deepika Padukone and team #Padmaavat post the film screening last week ❤????????... -- #slb #shahidkapoor #deepveer #life #deepikapadukone #ranveersingh A post shared by Shilan ???? (@deepveer_life) on Jan 29, 2018 at 7:06am PST × Since the announcement of the film ive dreamed of a pic for the three main actors and we finally have one, truly a wonderful film with an extraordinary cast ❤????????... -- #slb #shahidkapoor #deepveer #life #deepikapadukone #ranveersingh A post shared by Shilan ???? (@deepveer_life) on Jan 29, 2018 at 7:14am PST × Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor with Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the special screening Padmaavat ❤️ #Deepveer pic.twitter.com/49mCIGTUXv — Deepveer ♡ (@deepveerfanclub) January 29, 2018 × Padmaavat released in theaters on 25th January and has been consistently doing well at the box office. The film has already crossed the Rs 100 crore mark.

Finally, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor come together to celebrate Padmaavat success; See pics

padmaavat

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