<p>It was the summer of 2002 when my parents and I went to watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s <em>Devdas</em>. Parents decided to take me out for the latest blockbuster after I had gotten over with my half yearly exams in school. They thought what better way to give the child a break than make her watch a literary classic on the big screen.</p>

<p>Unfortunately for my parents, Bhansali&#39;s <em>Devdas</em> turned out to be anything but a classic. And as I lapped the visual extravaganza on screen, my Bengali middle-class, literary well-versed parents sat there fuming in their seats - silently nodding their head in disapproval as Paro and Chandramukhi danced together to <em>Dola Re Dola</em>. I even noticed my mother grimacing in pain at one time when Kirron Kher put up a theatrical dance performance explaining Devdas and Paro&#39;s love for each other to the entire village.</p>

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<h5>Parents discussed how the director had taken liberties with the story and how it projected the Bengali community wrongly.</h5>
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<p>Post the movie, parents discussed how the director had taken liberties with the story and how it projected the Bengali community wrongly. I remember discussions and debates taking place between parents and their friends over rounds of tea during their Sunday <em>addas</em> that how Bhansali had got it all wrong about the community. &quot;He basically made a very Marwari version of Sarat Chandra&#39;s book&quot;&nbsp; Ghosh uncle, my dad&#39;s friend had observed. &quot;My head was spinning during that<em> Dola Re</em> song. Why did he have to touch this book only? He could have remade any other classic,&quot; his wife had exclaimed. &quot;My fear is that, after watching the film, people now will think Bengalis are that garish and loud in real life,&quot; another aunty had pointed out.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Years passed by, and while the world celebrated <em>Devdas</em> as Bhansali&#39;s finest, Bengalis across sniggered at the film and it&#39;s wrong representation of the community. And that&#39;s all they have done till now. Over rounds of tea/dinner and lunches, the intellectual Bhodrolok has mutilated the film and many more such films about how wrong they represent the Bengali community. Over a plate of fish fry, or while chomping on a hot <em>peyaji</em><em>&nbsp;</em>(onion fritters)- the Bengali discussed and argued and debated about how <em>&#39;Panjabis</em>&#39; are taking over art.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Sure they have discussed and debated matters close to the heart but cinema has never stirred the Bengali intelligentsia to outrage - leave alone issue death threats.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>Notice how all the discussions happened over rounds of tea and food? Because, no discussion- intellectual or frivolous- is complete without food. And unlike our Rajput brethren, Bengalis have never really outraged in public. At least not for a film. Sure they have discussed and debated matters close to the heart but cinema has never stirred the Bengali intelligentsia to outrage - leave alone issue death threats.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Did we outrage when Jackie Shroff made for a hideous Chuni Babu? Did we outrage when SRK copied Dilip Kumar blindly as <em>Devdas</em>? Did we outrage when Paro&#39;s meager house was transformed into a palace by Bhansali? Or when he made a prostitute and a zamindar&#39;s wife dance together? No.</p>

<p>A Bengali would rather discuss the shortcomings of the film, give reference to Ray and Ghatak while sipping tea at the local tea stall. He would rather go on a monologue about how Tagore&#39;s Charulata was the best literary adaptation on the big screen. And how Bhansali has always taken copious amount of liberty when he has made films. &quot;Remember <em>Devdas</em>?&quot; he would point out.</p>

<p>But for a Bengali, the outrage would only be limited to that- at the local tea stall, or inside the living room of his home.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>A mere film on a supposed fictitious Queen will not change the essence of your culture or roots.&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>For years, Bengalis have had the priorities quite right. They wouldn&#39;t compromise on things that easily and take to streets to protest about a film. This is the community that likes to shut shops every afternoon for an hour-long siesta. This is the community which lets its Chief Minister personally micromanage crowd at the Eden during the KKR&#39;s victory celebrations. So outraging over a piece of art is out of the question.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The only time a Bengali has ever gotten worked up is when the neighbouring state has tried to claim our beloved Roshogolla as their own. No, can&#39;t do mister. Roshogolla is ours. We will take you to court for it and win the case even.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A Bengali would also outrage if his favourite team-Mohun Bagan or East Bengal- does not win the match. But those outbursts are justified. At least we don&#39;t make public death threats, no?</p>

<p>As the saga around Padmavati&#39;s release continues to grow- I, a Bengali, will ask everyone to breathe and take it easy. Take a leaf out of our community. Channelise your anger for the right things- Food, Football, Mamata, GST, Lack Of Jobs etc- but not on cinema. Because you see, art is perceived differently by different people. What you like and think as impactful, may not be liked by the other person. And a mere film on a supposed fictitious Queen will not change the essence of your culture or roots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So sit back, my dear Rajput brothers. Have a roshogolla and watch the film before you outrage. Be assured, we will not judge you or your entire community by what Bhansali shows on screen.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


My dear Rajput brothers. Be assured, we will not judge you or your entire community by what Bhansali shows on screen.?

It was the summer of 2002 when my parents and I went to watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. Parents decided to take me out for the latest blockbuster after I had gotten over with my half yearly exams in school. They thought what better way to give the child a break than make her watch a literary classic on the big screen. Unfortunately for my parents, Bhansali's Devdas turned out to be anything but a classic. And as I lapped the visual extravaganza on screen, my Bengali middle-class, literary well-versed parents sat there fuming in their seats - silently nodding their head in disapproval as Paro and Chandramukhi danced together to Dola Re Dola. I even noticed my mother grimacing in pain at one time when Kirron Kher put up a theatrical dance performance explaining Devdas and Paro's love for each other to the entire village. Parents discussed how the director had taken liberties with the story and how it projected the Bengali community wrongly. × Post the movie, parents discussed how the director had taken liberties with the story and how it projected the Bengali community wrongly. I remember discussions and debates taking place between parents and their friends over rounds of tea during their Sunday addas that how Bhansali had got it all wrong about the community. "He basically made a very Marwari version of Sarat Chandra's book" Ghosh uncle, my dad's friend had observed. "My head was spinning during that Dola Re song. Why did he have to touch this book only? He could have remade any other classic," his wife had exclaimed. "My fear is that, after watching the film, people now will think Bengalis are that garish and loud in real life," another aunty had pointed out. Years passed by, and while the world celebrated Devdas as Bhansali's finest, Bengalis across sniggered at the film and it's wrong representation of the community. And that's all they have done till now. Over rounds of tea/dinner and lunches, the intellectual Bhodrolok has mutilated the film and many more such films about how wrong they represent the Bengali community. Over a plate of fish fry, or while chomping on a hot peyaji (onion fritters)- the Bengali discussed and argued and debated about how 'Panjabis' are taking over art. Sure they have discussed and debated matters close to the heart but cinema has never stirred the Bengali intelligentsia to outrage - leave alone issue death threats. × Notice how all the discussions happened over rounds of tea and food? Because, no discussion- intellectual or frivolous- is complete without food. And unlike our Rajput brethren, Bengalis have never really outraged in public. At least not for a film. Sure they have discussed and debated matters close to the heart but cinema has never stirred the Bengali intelligentsia to outrage - leave alone issue death threats. Did we outrage when Jackie Shroff made for a hideous Chuni Babu? Did we outrage when SRK copied Dilip Kumar blindly as Devdas? Did we outrage when Paro's meager house was transformed into a palace by Bhansali? Or when he made a prostitute and a zamindar's wife dance together? No. A Bengali would rather discuss the shortcomings of the film, give reference to Ray and Ghatak while sipping tea at the local tea stall. He would rather go on a monologue about how Tagore's Charulata was the best literary adaptation on the big screen. And how Bhansali has always taken copious amount of liberty when he has made films. "Remember Devdas?" he would point out. But for a Bengali, the outrage would only be limited to that- at the local tea stall, or inside the living room of his home. A mere film on a supposed fictitious Queen will not change the essence of your culture or roots. × For years, Bengalis have had the priorities quite right. They wouldn't compromise on things that easily and take to streets to protest about a film. This is the community that likes to shut shops every afternoon for an hour-long siesta. This is the community which lets its Chief Minister personally micromanage crowd at the Eden during the KKR's victory celebrations. So outraging over a piece of art is out of the question. The only time a Bengali has ever gotten worked up is when the neighbouring state has tried to claim our beloved Roshogolla as their own. No, can't do mister. Roshogolla is ours. We will take you to court for it and win the case even. A Bengali would also outrage if his favourite team-Mohun Bagan or East Bengal- does not win the match. But those outbursts are justified. At least we don't make public death threats, no? As the saga around Padmavati's release continues to grow- I, a Bengali, will ask everyone to breathe and take it easy. Take a leaf out of our community. Channelise your anger for the right things- Food, Football, Mamata, GST, Lack Of Jobs etc- but not on cinema. Because you see, art is perceived differently by different people. What you like and think as impactful, may not be liked by the other person. And a mere film on a supposed fictitious Queen will not change the essence of your culture or roots. So sit back, my dear Rajput brothers. Have a roshogolla and watch the film before you outrage. Be assured, we will not judge you or your entire community by what Bhansali shows on screen. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Dear Rajput brethren, as a Bengali I ask you to chill

<p>Haryana BJP&#39;s chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu who had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-producers-postpone-films-release-24582">offered a Rs 10 crore bounty</a> to anybody who beheaded &quot;Padmavati&quot; director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the film&#39;s lead actress Deepika Padukone, today resigned from his post.</p>

<p>SP Amu blamed Haryana chief minister ML Khattar&#39;s &quot;behaviour&quot; for his resignation.</p>

<p>With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the post I had in BJP. I am pained at the behaviour of Haryana CM. I have never seen a BJP CM so arrogant who doesn&#39;t respect party workers and community representatives,&quot; Suraj Pal Amu said.</p>

<p>Amu reportedly also threatened to break actor Ranveer Singh&#39;s legs if he did not take back his words of support for the film and its director.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Want to congratulate Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family&#39;s needs,&quot; SP Amu had said during an Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha function in New Delhi on November 20.</p>

<p>Amu doubled the offer in response to the offer of a Rs 5 crore bounty by a man from Meerut called Thakur Abhishek Som.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;If you (Ranveer Singh) don&#39;t take your words back, we will break your legs and hand them to you,&quot; Amu had threatened Deepika&#39;s co-star Ranveer Singh who plays Alauddin Khilji in the film.</p>

<p>The Haryana BJP leader had threatened to quit the BJP if needed and asked prime minister Narendra Modi to exercise his powers to strike down the film.</p>

<p>The BJP had issued a show-cause notice to Amu and asked him to apologise.</p>

<p>Unfazed by the criticism, Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-haryana-bjp-leader-invokes-suparnakha-to-warn-mamata-banerjee-25115"> threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee</a> of a fate similar to Surpanakha if she continued to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus.</p>

<p>&quot;Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose,&quot; he had said.</p>

<p>The West Bengal chief minister had extended her support to the film on Twitter and said the controversy surrounding it was &quot;the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Padmavati&quot; has been accused of distorting historical facts by fringe groups and members of the BJP including chief ministers of the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The objection is to an alleged dream sequence between Deepika Padukone&#39;s Rani Padmini and Ranveer Singh&#39;s Alauddin Khilji, a claim that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has repeatedly rubbished.</p>

<p>&quot;Padmavati&quot; was originally scheduled to hit theatres on December 1 but its co-producers Viacom 18 deferred the film&#39;s release after the film ran into trouble with the censor board with its chairman accusing the makers of putting pressure on the censor board to clear the film without completing the paperwork.</p>


The Haryana BJP chief media coordinator leader had threatened to quit the BJP if needed and had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exercise his powers to stop the release of the film Padmavati

Haryana BJP's chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu who had offered a Rs 10 crore bounty to anybody who beheaded "Padmavati" director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the film's lead actress Deepika Padukone, today resigned from his post. SP Amu blamed Haryana chief minister ML Khattar's "behaviour" for his resignation. With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the post I had in BJP. I am pained at the behaviour of Haryana CM. I have never seen a BJP CM so arrogant who doesn't respect party workers and community representatives," Suraj Pal Amu said. Amu reportedly also threatened to break actor Ranveer Singh's legs if he did not take back his words of support for the film and its director. "Want to congratulate Meerut youth for announcing Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Deepika, Bhansali. We will reward the ones beheading them, with Rs 10 crore, and also take care of their family's needs," SP Amu had said during an Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha function in New Delhi on November 20. Amu doubled the offer in response to the offer of a Rs 5 crore bounty by a man from Meerut called Thakur Abhishek Som. "If you (Ranveer Singh) don't take your words back, we will break your legs and hand them to you," Amu had threatened Deepika's co-star Ranveer Singh who plays Alauddin Khilji in the film. The Haryana BJP leader had threatened to quit the BJP if needed and asked prime minister Narendra Modi to exercise his powers to strike down the film. The BJP had issued a show-cause notice to Amu and asked him to apologise. Unfazed by the criticism, Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a fate similar to Surpanakha if she continued to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus. "Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose," he had said. The West Bengal chief minister had extended her support to the film on Twitter and said the controversy surrounding it was "the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression". "Padmavati" has been accused of distorting historical facts by fringe groups and members of the BJP including chief ministers of the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The objection is to an alleged dream sequence between Deepika Padukone's Rani Padmini and Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji, a claim that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has repeatedly rubbished. "Padmavati" was originally scheduled to hit theatres on December 1 but its co-producers Viacom 18 deferred the film's release after the film ran into trouble with the censor board with its chairman accusing the makers of putting pressure on the censor board to clear the film without completing the paperwork.

Suraj Pal Amu, who offered Rs 10 crore bounty on Deepika Padukone, resigns

<p>There seems to be no end to controversies around Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s <em>Padmavati</em>. The film has been opposed by various fringe groups and banned in several states and now Aparna Yadav, Mulayam Singh&#39;s daughter in law, has landed herself into trouble for performing on the Ghoomar song from the film.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, the video of Aparna Yadav dancing went viral. According to media reports, Aparna danced to the song at the engagement ceremony of her brother Aman Bisht. Married to Samajawadi patriarch&#39;s younger son Prateek Yadav- Aparna performed at the event which took place at a 5-star hotel in Lucknow. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Aparna Yadav,daughter in law of Mulayam Singh Yadav performs on the &#39;Ghoomar&#39; song of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> at a function in Lucknow <a href="https://t.co/3BkCcprJsm">pic.twitter.com/3BkCcprJsm</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/935792835491532800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The video has Aparna dancing perfectly to the song along with other women. While it is a well-choreographed number, the fringe groups aren&#39;t too happy with her act.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to DNA, Karni Sena&#39;s Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, &quot;We are fighting for our cause. Being a Rajput she is dancing on such songs without caring for the sentiments of Rajput. We will send them the original Ghoomar song and other Rajasthani folk songs if they like it so much.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


On Wednesday, the video of Aparna Yadav dancing went viral

There seems to be no end to controversies around Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati. The film has been opposed by various fringe groups and banned in several states and now Aparna Yadav, Mulayam Singh's daughter in law, has landed herself into trouble for performing on the Ghoomar song from the film. On Wednesday, the video of Aparna Yadav dancing went viral. According to media reports, Aparna danced to the song at the engagement ceremony of her brother Aman Bisht. Married to Samajawadi patriarch's younger son Prateek Yadav- Aparna performed at the event which took place at a 5-star hotel in Lucknow. #WATCH Aparna Yadav,daughter in law of Mulayam Singh Yadav performs on the 'Ghoomar' song of #Padmavati at a function in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/3BkCcprJsm — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 29, 2017 × The video has Aparna dancing perfectly to the song along with other women. While it is a well-choreographed number, the fringe groups aren't too happy with her act. Speaking to DNA, Karni Sena's Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, "We are fighting for our cause. Being a Rajput she is dancing on such songs without caring for the sentiments of Rajput. We will send them the original Ghoomar song and other Rajasthani folk songs if they like it so much."

Watch: Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna dances on 'Ghoomar' song from 'Padmavati'; draws criticism from fringe groups

<p>As troubles around the release of Padmavati continues to grow, Bihar now has hinted at banning the film in the state if objectionable scenes are not removed from the film.&nbsp;<br />
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On Tuesday, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Bihar&#39;s art, culture, sports and youth minister has stated that the film will not be released in the state if objectionable scenes are not removed.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Until and unless objectionable scenes are not removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a>, we will not allow it to be released in the state.: Krishna Kumar Rishi, Bihar Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Minister (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/8WJnYQpFIe">pic.twitter.com/8WJnYQpFIe</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935454284115714048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bihar is the fifth state to show reluctance in releasing the controversial film. Earlier UP, Rajasthan and Punjab have made similar demands. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have already banned the film in their respective states.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati. While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office.</p>

<p>Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Padmavati features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, but the makers have postponed the release keeping in mind the current situation. The CBFC is also yet to give the film a certification.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bihar minister has demanded that the film be screened first

As troubles around the release of Padmavati continues to grow, Bihar now has hinted at banning the film in the state if objectionable scenes are not removed from the film. On Tuesday, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Bihar's art, culture, sports and youth minister has stated that the film will not be released in the state if objectionable scenes are not removed. Until and unless objectionable scenes are not removed from #Padmavati, we will not allow it to be released in the state.: Krishna Kumar Rishi, Bihar Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Minister (file pic) pic.twitter.com/8WJnYQpFIe — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2017 × Bihar is the fifth state to show reluctance in releasing the controversial film. Earlier UP, Rajasthan and Punjab have made similar demands. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have already banned the film in their respective states. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati. While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Padmavati features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, but the makers have postponed the release keeping in mind the current situation. The CBFC is also yet to give the film a certification.

Padmavati row: Bihar may ban the film if objectionable scenese are not removed

<p>The Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati.</p>

<p>While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office.</p>

<p>The court said that was tantamount to pre-judging the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court added that the statements were violative of the principle of &quot;rule of law&quot;&nbsp;since the Censor Board was yet to certify the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The plea by Sharma, news reports said, had sought direction from the court that the makers of the movie not release it outside India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sharma had alleged that grave damage would be done to social harmony if the movie were to be released outside India.</p>

<p>The reports added that Sharma had sought&nbsp;criminal prosecution of the movie&#39;s makers for misrepresenting facts.</p>

<p>Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-film-industry-plans-blackout-in-support-of-padmavati-6958">Indian film Industry plans blackout in support of Padmavati</a></p>

<p>There have been earlier petitions against the movie&#39;s release too, all of which have been dismissed by the Supreme Court.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court has said it cannot interfere in what is the CBFC&#39;s work.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violent-threats-not-acceptable-in-democracy-venkaiah-naidu-on-padmavati-row-25098">have protested against the film&#39;s release</a> alleging that it distorts historical facts.</p>

<p>Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/rajasthan-body-found-hanging-at-nahargarh-fort-in-jaipur-threat-note-on-rocks-also-seen-6922">Rajasthan: Body found hanging at Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, threat note on rocks also seen</a></p>

<p>Viacom 18, the movie&#39;s makers, had earlier said they have &quot;voluntarily deferred&quot;&nbsp;the movie&#39;s release originally scheduled for December 1.</p>


The court said the statements were tantamount to pre-judging the movie

The Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati. While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office. The court said that was tantamount to pre-judging the movie. The court added that the statements were violative of the principle of "rule of law" since the Censor Board was yet to certify the movie. The plea by Sharma, news reports said, had sought direction from the court that the makers of the movie not release it outside India. Sharma had alleged that grave damage would be done to social harmony if the movie were to be released outside India. The reports added that Sharma had sought criminal prosecution of the movie's makers for misrepresenting facts. Also watch: Indian film Industry plans blackout in support of Padmavati There have been earlier petitions against the movie's release too, all of which have been dismissed by the Supreme Court. The court has said it cannot interfere in what is the CBFC's work. Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have protested against the film's release alleging that it distorts historical facts. Also watch: Rajasthan: Body found hanging at Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, threat note on rocks also seen Viacom 18, the movie's makers, had earlier said they have "voluntarily deferred" the movie's release originally scheduled for December 1.

Supreme Court dismisses petition against 'Padmavati', takes serious note of statements by people in high office

<p>Haryana&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus &quot;Padmavati&quot;.</p>

<p>The party&#39;s chief media coordinator, Amu told ANI, &quot;Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Like Rani Padmavati, she (Mamata) is also a woman. If she cannot respect a woman, she will get the answer from the people of Bengal,&quot; added Amu.</p>

<p>Amu made the statement after Banerjee, at an event on Friday, welcomed the film to be released in Bengal.</p>

<p>A few days back, the Bengal chief minister tweeted in support of the film, &quot;Padmavati&quot;, and said the controversy surrounding it was &quot;the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice,&quot; the tweet further reads.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice</p>
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/932496407730126848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-condemns-member-who-offered-reward-for-padmavati-actress-deepika-padukones-head-24684">Earlier on November 19, Amu made derogatory remarks against Bhansali, actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh and announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress.</a></p>

<p>Amid the hue and cry, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-producers-postpone-films-release-24582">the release date of the epic drama &#39;Padmavati&#39; starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor has also been postponed from December 1.</a></p>


Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati'

Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus "Padmavati". The party's chief media coordinator, Amu told ANI, "Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose." "Like Rani Padmavati, she (Mamata) is also a woman. If she cannot respect a woman, she will get the answer from the people of Bengal," added Amu. Amu made the statement after Banerjee, at an event on Friday, welcomed the film to be released in Bengal. A few days back, the Bengal chief minister tweeted in support of the film, "Padmavati", and said the controversy surrounding it was "the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression". "We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," the tweet further reads. The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017 × Earlier on November 19, Amu made derogatory remarks against Bhansali, actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh and announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress. Amid the hue and cry, the release date of the epic drama 'Padmavati' starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor has also been postponed from December 1.

'Padmavati' row: Haryana BJP leader invokes Suparnakha to warn Mamata Banerjee

<p>Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s controversial film &quot;Padmavati&quot;.</p>

<p>The Indian Films and TV Directors&#39; Association (IFTDA), along with19 other bodies of the film and television industry from across the country, will stop shooting for 15 minutes to protect the right to the freedom of expression of those in the creative field.</p>

<p>The associations that are going to participate in the protest include the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Western India Cinematographers Association, Screen Writers Association, The Film and Television Producers Guild of India Limited, Association of Voice Artistes, Cine Costume &amp; Make-up Artiste and Hair Dressers Association, Cine Singer Association, Movie Stunt Artistes Association.</p>

<p>The protest call &quot;Main Azaad Hoon?&quot; will take place at Film City of Mumbai, and will&nbsp;start&nbsp;at 3:30 pm on November 26.</p>

<p>All the shooting units in Mumbai will put off lights and no shootings will take place from 4:15 pm to 4:30 pm.</p>

<p>While speaking to the press, filmmaker and IFTDA convenor Ashoke Pandit told PTI that &quot;Through this protest we are trying to say let us know - Are we free people? Are we living in a democratic country?&quot;.</p>

<p>The filmmaker&nbsp;added, &quot;Over 600-700 people from the entire film industry in India from filmmakers to writers, workers, make-up men will come together in support of &quot;Padmavati&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In support of Bhansali, Pandit said that &quot;if a great filmmaker like Bhansali can be threatened for exercising creative freedom, it can happen to anyone in the fraternity.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We are creators of cinema...Art. We are educators, we contribute towards the betterment of the country. There are stars supporting various causes (of the government). We stand by them, whenever there is a need. We are hurt with what is happening with &#39;Padmavati&#39;, we are (being) ill-treated, we feel we are living like orphans in this country&quot;, he also added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Questioning chief ministers on banning the&nbsp;film in their states, Ashoke Pandit also said that &quot;We are not fighting against any particular person. The judiciary has passed some orders but nothing has been done. How can a chief minister ban a film without even watching it?&quot;</p>

<p>Chief ministers of states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already called for a ban on the film.</p>

<p>Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, &quot;Padmavati&quot;&nbsp;starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor&nbsp;is under a lot of controversies. Members of the Karni Sena and others are accusing the director of &quot;distorting historical facts&quot;.</p>

<p>The film is based on a character, Queen Padmini, from an epic poem &quot;Padmavat&quot;&nbsp;written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.</p>

<p>There is no official written record that Queen Padmini actually existed in Rajasthan.</p>


Hundreds of people from across the country including filmmakers and workers have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film 'Padmavati'

Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film "Padmavati". The Indian Films and TV Directors' Association (IFTDA), along with19 other bodies of the film and television industry from across the country, will stop shooting for 15 minutes to protect the right to the freedom of expression of those in the creative field. The associations that are going to participate in the protest include the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Western India Cinematographers Association, Screen Writers Association, The Film and Television Producers Guild of India Limited, Association of Voice Artistes, Cine Costume & Make-up Artiste and Hair Dressers Association, Cine Singer Association, Movie Stunt Artistes Association. The protest call "Main Azaad Hoon?" will take place at Film City of Mumbai, and will start at 3:30 pm on November 26. All the shooting units in Mumbai will put off lights and no shootings will take place from 4:15 pm to 4:30 pm. While speaking to the press, filmmaker and IFTDA convenor Ashoke Pandit told PTI that "Through this protest we are trying to say let us know - Are we free people? Are we living in a democratic country?". The filmmaker added, "Over 600-700 people from the entire film industry in India from filmmakers to writers, workers, make-up men will come together in support of "Padmavati". In support of Bhansali, Pandit said that "if a great filmmaker like Bhansali can be threatened for exercising creative freedom, it can happen to anyone in the fraternity." "We are creators of cinema...Art. We are educators, we contribute towards the betterment of the country. There are stars supporting various causes (of the government). We stand by them, whenever there is a need. We are hurt with what is happening with 'Padmavati', we are (being) ill-treated, we feel we are living like orphans in this country", he also added. Questioning chief ministers on banning the film in their states, Ashoke Pandit also said that "We are not fighting against any particular person. The judiciary has passed some orders but nothing has been done. How can a chief minister ban a film without even watching it?" Chief ministers of states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already called for a ban on the film. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "Padmavati" starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor is under a lot of controversies. Members of the Karni Sena and others are accusing the director of "distorting historical facts". The film is based on a character, Queen Padmini, from an epic poem "Padmavat" written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. There is no official written record that Queen Padmini actually existed in Rajasthan.

'Padmavati' row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India today

<p>In the middle of the protests against the film &quot;Padmavati&quot;, comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy.</p>

<p>The vice-president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film&#39;s actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law.</p>

<p>&quot;Whether these fellows have that much money or not, I doubt. Everyone is announcing Rs one crore reward. Is it so easy to have Rs one crore? (Also Read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/country-is-witnessing-hyper-nationalism-alarming-shabana-azmi-on-padmavati-row-25130"> Country is witnessing hyper-nationalism, alarming: Shabana Azmi on &#39;Padmavati&#39; row</a>)</p>

<p>&quot;This is not acceptable in a democracy. You have the right to protest in a democratic manner, go to the appropriate authorities...You cannot physically obstruct and can&#39;t give violent threats. Let us not undermine the rule of law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;(Also Read - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-no-shooting-for-15-minutes-across-india-tomorrow-25112">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow</a>)</p>

<p>&quot;You have no right to take laws into your own hands. At the same time, you don&#39;t have the right to hurt the sentiments of others&quot;, Venkaiah Naidu said.</p>

<p>Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have protested against the film&#39;s release alleging that it distorts historical facts.</p>

<p>Venkaiah Naidu stressed that he was not talking about a particular film but about films and art in general. He read out names of previously banned films like &quot;Garam Hawa&quot;, &quot;Kissa Kursi Ka&quot; and &quot;Aandhi&quot;.</p>

<p>The vice president said there was a new problem over some films where people feel that they have hurt the sentiments of some religions or communities and that has led to protests.</p>

<p>The vice president also warned against selective condemnation and said it was wrong to link it with religion.</p>

<p>He said there was a difference between religion and culture. While religion was a way of worship, culture was a way of life, he said.</p>

<p>On incidents of dissent, Naidu said while dissent was agreeable, disintegration is not.</p>

<p>He said these incidents, taking place in the country, need to be identified, isolated and dealt with firmly and that according to him was a &quot;challenge&quot;.</p>

<p>He said people have to live together irrespective of caste, creed sex, religion and added that India was one despite the differences.</p>

<p>&quot;This is India&#39;s speciality and we have to uphold this speciality in young minds through literature, caricature, cinema, through art...The central theme (of all these) should be the well-being of all,&quot; he said</p>

<p>&quot;You have to accept majority...Tolerance has to be there for the people&#39;s mandate.&quot;</p>

<p>(<em>With inputs from PTI</em>)</p>

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Amid the Padmavati row, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, at a literary festival warned against undermining the rule of law in the country

In the middle of the protests against the film "Padmavati", comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy. The vice-president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film's actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law. "Whether these fellows have that much money or not, I doubt. Everyone is announcing Rs one crore reward. Is it so easy to have Rs one crore? (Also Read: Country is witnessing hyper-nationalism, alarming: Shabana Azmi on 'Padmavati' row) "This is not acceptable in a democracy. You have the right to protest in a democratic manner, go to the appropriate authorities...You cannot physically obstruct and can't give violent threats. Let us not undermine the rule of law," he said. (Also Read - 'Padmavati' row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow) "You have no right to take laws into your own hands. At the same time, you don't have the right to hurt the sentiments of others", Venkaiah Naidu said. Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have protested against the film's release alleging that it distorts historical facts. Venkaiah Naidu stressed that he was not talking about a particular film but about films and art in general. He read out names of previously banned films like "Garam Hawa", "Kissa Kursi Ka" and "Aandhi". The vice president said there was a new problem over some films where people feel that they have hurt the sentiments of some religions or communities and that has led to protests. The vice president also warned against selective condemnation and said it was wrong to link it with religion. He said there was a difference between religion and culture. While religion was a way of worship, culture was a way of life, he said. On incidents of dissent, Naidu said while dissent was agreeable, disintegration is not. He said these incidents, taking place in the country, need to be identified, isolated and dealt with firmly and that according to him was a "challenge". He said people have to live together irrespective of caste, creed sex, religion and added that India was one despite the differences. "This is India's speciality and we have to uphold this speciality in young minds through literature, caricature, cinema, through art...The central theme (of all these) should be the well-being of all," he said "You have to accept majority...Tolerance has to be there for the people's mandate." (With inputs from PTI)

Violent threats not acceptable in democracy: Venkaiah Naidu on 'Padmavati' row

<p>Critically acclaimed Indian actress Shabana Azmi on Saturday said that the country is seeing episodes of hyper-nationalism and although the phenomenon was not novel, people need to be alarmed about it.</p>

<p>Shabana Azmi also said that understanding the difference between nationalism and patriotism was the need of the hour.</p>

<p>&quot;Patriotism concerns itself with the lives of the people in this geographical entity and also concerns with improving their lot. So you can continue to be very patriotic and still be critical about certain issues in the society. In no way, does it make you unpatriotic,&quot; Ms Azmi said.</p>

<p>&quot;But what we are seeing now (in the country) is hyper-nationalism. And that is something to be alarmed about. It has always existed. (And) Culture and arts are always attacked first because the country&#39;s image is defined by what they represent,&quot; the actress added.</p>

<p>The actress was addressing a panel discussion on &quot;Nationalism and Arts&quot; at the Times Litfest along with her husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar.</p>

<p>Shabana Azmi also expressed her support to &quot;Padmavati&quot;&nbsp;director Sanjay Leela and actress Deepika Padukone receiving death threats over the film.</p>

<p>She said, &quot;Criticism is fine. Dissent is fine...What is not fine is threats of death, killing people or burning them alive - as has been done with Deepika Padukone. As an actress, as a colleague, as a member of the industry, I don&#39;t think it has ever been as bad as it is today.&quot;</p>

<p>Javed Akhtar also addressed the matter saying &quot;It is not happening for the first time with &#39;Padmavati&#39;. But we must ask ourselves that did we earn the right to stand for &#39;Padmavati&#39;? When &quot;Fire&quot; was removed, when &quot;Kissa Kursi Ka&quot; prints were burnt...Did we stand up for all those films? How many people protested?&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;When you are protesting against &#39;Padmavati&#39;, did you also protest against the play that glorified Nathuram Godse? What I am saying is that all of us carry baggage. All of us are guilty of sometimes keeping quiet. We tend to speak only out of choice. That is not objectivity,&quot; Akhtar added.<br />
<br />
(<em>With inputs from PTI</em>)</p>


Critically acclaimed Indian actress Shabana Azmi today said that the country is seeing episodes of hyper-nationalism and although the phenomenon was not novel, people need to be alarmed about it

Critically acclaimed Indian actress Shabana Azmi on Saturday said that the country is seeing episodes of hyper-nationalism and although the phenomenon was not novel, people need to be alarmed about it. Shabana Azmi also said that understanding the difference between nationalism and patriotism was the need of the hour. "Patriotism concerns itself with the lives of the people in this geographical entity and also concerns with improving their lot. So you can continue to be very patriotic and still be critical about certain issues in the society. In no way, does it make you unpatriotic," Ms Azmi said. "But what we are seeing now (in the country) is hyper-nationalism. And that is something to be alarmed about. It has always existed. (And) Culture and arts are always attacked first because the country's image is defined by what they represent," the actress added. The actress was addressing a panel discussion on "Nationalism and Arts" at the Times Litfest along with her husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar. Shabana Azmi also expressed her support to "Padmavati" director Sanjay Leela and actress Deepika Padukone receiving death threats over the film. She said, "Criticism is fine. Dissent is fine...What is not fine is threats of death, killing people or burning them alive - as has been done with Deepika Padukone. As an actress, as a colleague, as a member of the industry, I don't think it has ever been as bad as it is today." Javed Akhtar also addressed the matter saying "It is not happening for the first time with 'Padmavati'. But we must ask ourselves that did we earn the right to stand for 'Padmavati'? When "Fire" was removed, when "Kissa Kursi Ka" prints were burnt...Did we stand up for all those films? How many people protested?" "When you are protesting against 'Padmavati', did you also protest against the play that glorified Nathuram Godse? What I am saying is that all of us carry baggage. All of us are guilty of sometimes keeping quiet. We tend to speak only out of choice. That is not objectivity," Akhtar added. (With inputs from PTI)

Country is witnessing hyper-nationalism, alarming: Shabana Azmi on 'Padmavati' row

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violent-threats-not-acceptable-in-democracy-venkaiah-naidu-on-padmavati-row-25098">Violent threats not acceptable in democracy: Venkaiah Naidu on &#39;Padmavati&#39; row</a></p>

<p>In the middle of the protests against the film &quot;Padmavati&quot;, comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu&#39;s statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy.The vice president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film&#39;s actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-dead-body-of-army-soldier-found-police-investigates-25086">Territorial-army jawan&#39;s bullet-ridden body found in Jammu and Kashmir village</a></p>

<p>The bullet-ridden dead body of a 23-year-old Territorial-army jawan, Irfan Ahmad Dar, was found in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was a resident of Saazan village and posted at Guruz. He was in engineering regiment of the Territorial Army.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091">One dead, over 100 injured as Islamist sit-in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091">paralyses</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/policeman-dead-over-100-injured-as-islamist-sit-in-paralyses-islamabad-25091"> Islamabad</a></p>

<p>A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country&#39;s capital for weeks.</p>

<p>Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/love-jihad-case-woman-says-she-wants-to-be-with-husband-25120">&#39;Love jihad&#39;: Nobody forced me to convert, says Hadiya</a></p>

<p>Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of &quot;love jihad&quot;, said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband.</p>

<p>&quot;I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert,&quot; shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-no-shooting-for-15-minutes-across-india-tomorrow-25112">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow</a></p>

<p>Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s controversial film &quot;Padmavati&quot;.</p>


Violent threats not acceptable in democracy: Venkaiah Naidu on 'Padmavati' row In the middle of the protests against the film "Padmavati", comes Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's statement that giving violent threats and announcing rewards for physical harm is not acceptable in a democracy.The vice president, who was speaking at a literary festival in New Delhi, referred to the bounty that was offered for killing the film's actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said one could not give violent threats and undermine the rule of law. Territorial-army jawan's bullet-ridden body found in Jammu and Kashmir village The bullet-ridden dead body of a 23-year-old Territorial-army jawan, Irfan Ahmad Dar, was found in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning. He was a resident of Saazan village and posted at Guruz. He was in engineering regiment of the Territorial Army. One dead, over 100 injured as Islamist sit-in paralyses Islamabad A policeman was killed and over 100 people wounded as Pakistani forces fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas in a bid to disperse an Islamist sit-in that has virtually paralysed the country's capital for weeks. Smoke and tear gas filled the air as the roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were also seen throwing rocks and using slingshots in the ongoing bid to clear 2,000 or so hardline demonstrators which began soon after dawn. 'Love jihad': Nobody forced me to convert, says Hadiya Kerala woman Hadiya, who will depose before the Supreme Court on November 27 in an alleged case of "love jihad", said on Saturday that nobody forced her to convert to Islam and that she wanted to be with her husband. "I am a Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert," shouted Hadiya as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi amid tight security. 'Padmavati' row: No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film "Padmavati".

WION evening news brief, November 25, 2017

<p>The recent incident at Nahargarh fort where a body was found hanging has shocked the entire nation. A note next to the body stated, &quot;We don&#39;t burn effigies, we kill,&quot; referring to the protests around the film <em>Padmavati&#39;</em>s release.<br />
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Reacting to the horrific news, actress Alia Bhatt expressed shock on Twitter and questioned the society at large.&nbsp;<br />
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Alia tweeted, &quot;This is what happens when violent threats are allowed to made openly without punishment! What is happening? Shocked!(sic)&quot;<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is what happens when violent threats are allowed to made openly without punishment! What is happening? Shocked! <a href="https://t.co/hZw2EXyuij">https://t.co/hZw2EXyuij</a></p>
&mdash; Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) <a href="https://twitter.com/aliaa08/status/934000986485612544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A BJP leader had earlier announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone&#39;s head. The group had also threatened to chop off&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s film has been facing a slew of protests over the depiction of Rajput community. Fringe groups have stated that the film distorts history and has demanded a ban on its release. States like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have decided to ban the film predicting unrest over its release.&nbsp;</p>


Bhatt expressed shock over the Nahargarh incident that is reportedly linked to the Padmavati protest

The recent incident at Nahargarh fort where a body was found hanging has shocked the entire nation. A note next to the body stated, "We don't burn effigies, we kill," referring to the protests around the film Padmavati's release. Reacting to the horrific news, actress Alia Bhatt expressed shock on Twitter and questioned the society at large. Alia tweeted, "This is what happens when violent threats are allowed to made openly without punishment! What is happening? Shocked!(sic)" This is what happens when violent threats are allowed to made openly without punishment! What is happening? Shocked! https://t.co/hZw2EXyuij — Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) November 24, 2017 × A BJP leader had earlier announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone's head. The group had also threatened to chop off Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film has been facing a slew of protests over the depiction of Rajput community. Fringe groups have stated that the film distorts history and has demanded a ban on its release. States like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have decided to ban the film predicting unrest over its release.

Padmavati row: Now, Alia Bhatt expresses shock over the growing protests

<p>The film Padmavati has raised much rubble in India. While everyone is talking about Rani Padmavati&#39;s pride and honour, no one is telling that Allaudin was a brutal emperor. For the sake of better historical perspective, it is crucial to discuss what was the condition of India during the time of Khilji rule and why Padmavati did Jauhar. Without reading about Khilji and Padmavati&#39;s history, it is difficult to know about the controversy.</p>

<p>My argument is, Allaudin Khilji was not a glamorous king. Instead, he was a brutal one. I am sure that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not done any homework to establish this.</p>

<p>Without knowing the history, it is difficult to understand the present situation.</p>

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<h5>This controversy has given a platform to many others who are trying to politicise the whole thing for their personal agenda.</h5>
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<p>Recently, Mr Bhansali showed his movie to a few media persons and it has become an issue now. &nbsp;How can he, in a special screening, show the movie to a group of people of his preference without getting the certificate? Even the Rajput communities who are protesting against the movie wanted such special screening but Mr Bhansali never had time for that.</p>

<p>This controversy has given a platform to many others who are trying to politicise the whole thing for their personal agenda. So many people have entered the controversy now. Even those who were not even popular have become popular now. Such people are doing things like threatening Deepika and announcing a bounty of 10cr on Mr Bhansali. These people, particularly, Lokendra Singh Kalvi is looking only for cheap publicity.</p>

<p>Actually, this has become the easiest way to appear on TV. As soon as the people have given the statement, then immediately he will become the hero on media and he will start appearing on news debates. Using such foul language makes them celebrity overnight and even media helps them.</p>

<p>How Mr Bhansali has portrayed Khilji will become clear only after watching the movie. To understand his personality, we have to read about him in various popular books on him written by famous historians.</p>

<p>There is this book, &#39;Khilji Kalin Bharat&#39; written by world-renowned historian Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, which has the documented the history from 1290 to 1320.</p>

<p>This book incorporates translation of Ziauddin Barni, Amir Khusrow, Emasi (or Imasi), Yahya, Ibn Battuta, Farishta and Abdullah.</p>

<p>Historians are unanimous about the fact that Khilji was a cruel ruler. He has killed many to acquire and invade. For Allaudin, beheading and torturing someone was a game. There was a huge section of society which was suffering during his rule. After reading the book it is very clear that Khilji is even more dangerous than ISIS leader Baghdadi and Taliban terrorists.</p>

<p>700 years ago Rani Padmavati did Jauhar. The release has been postponed but still, Karni Sena wants the special screening for themselves. Rajput communities are not trusting Mr Bhansali on the content of the movie.</p>

<p>This row is not going to end anytime sooner. History has a portrayal of Padmavati&#39;s Jauhar and Khilji&#39;s brutality.</p>

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<h5>Allaudin wanted to win against the Delhi&#39;s Sultanate, he invaded Devgiri without informing Jalaluddin Khilji. Jalaluddin was his uncle and father-in-law. Jalaluddin considered him as his son but he gave him a terrible death.</h5>
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<p>In medieval history, killing innocents was very common to win the throne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Allaudin wanted to win against the Delhi&#39;s Sultanate, he invaded Devgiri without informing Jalaluddin Khilji. Jalaluddin was his uncle and father-in-law. Jalaluddin considered him as his son but he gave him a terrible death. He killed both of Jalaluddin&#39;s sons, its written on page 46 of Rizvi&#39;s book. Khilji also killed one of his cousin Akat Khan by beheading him.</p>

<p>Allaudin never respected any religion, something which Rizvi mentions again on page 47 of his book.</p>

<p>Saeed Ahtar Abbas Rizvi also mentioned about Allaudin&#39;s brutality and said that he did all notorious things to save his power.</p>

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<p>&#39;Khalji Kaleen Bharat&#39;, a book written by Saeed Ahtar Abbas Rizvi. (Others)</p>
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<p>On page 29, there is a mention that there was a Hindu deity made of brass metal; it was kept in a temple in Madhya Pradesh that was destroyed and the metal was converted into various things and was sent to Delhi.</p>

<p>Also on page 68, its mentioned that during the rule of Khilji, he made various policies to suppress Hindus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If Mr Bhansali has taken all the points from history and uses Padmavati&#39;s name, then he has to take care of many other things written in history books, and after knowing all the things only he must glamourise the character of Khilji.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are many people who are supporting their argument by saying that it is freedom of expression and speech. Article 19(1) gives freedom of speech but same way article 19(2) says Indian security and integrity must be kept in mind while talking about freedom of speech and expression.</p>

<p>It means freedom of expression is good but one must know his responsibilities and should act with maturity.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)</em></p>


History must not be distorted in the name of 'Freedom of Expression', characters who have dark history, such as Alauddin Khilji must not be glamourised.

The film Padmavati has raised much rubble in India. While everyone is talking about Rani Padmavati's pride and honour, no one is telling that Allaudin was a brutal emperor. For the sake of better historical perspective, it is crucial to discuss what was the condition of India during the time of Khilji rule and why Padmavati did Jauhar. Without reading about Khilji and Padmavati's history, it is difficult to know about the controversy. My argument is, Allaudin Khilji was not a glamorous king. Instead, he was a brutal one. I am sure that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not done any homework to establish this. Without knowing the history, it is difficult to understand the present situation. This controversy has given a platform to many others who are trying to politicise the whole thing for their personal agenda. × Recently, Mr Bhansali showed his movie to a few media persons and it has become an issue now. How can he, in a special screening, show the movie to a group of people of his preference without getting the certificate? Even the Rajput communities who are protesting against the movie wanted such special screening but Mr Bhansali never had time for that. This controversy has given a platform to many others who are trying to politicise the whole thing for their personal agenda. So many people have entered the controversy now. Even those who were not even popular have become popular now. Such people are doing things like threatening Deepika and announcing a bounty of 10cr on Mr Bhansali. These people, particularly, Lokendra Singh Kalvi is looking only for cheap publicity. Actually, this has become the easiest way to appear on TV. As soon as the people have given the statement, then immediately he will become the hero on media and he will start appearing on news debates. Using such foul language makes them celebrity overnight and even media helps them. How Mr Bhansali has portrayed Khilji will become clear only after watching the movie. To understand his personality, we have to read about him in various popular books on him written by famous historians. There is this book, 'Khilji Kalin Bharat' written by world-renowned historian Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, which has the documented the history from 1290 to 1320. This book incorporates translation of Ziauddin Barni, Amir Khusrow, Emasi (or Imasi), Yahya, Ibn Battuta, Farishta and Abdullah. Historians are unanimous about the fact that Khilji was a cruel ruler. He has killed many to acquire and invade. For Allaudin, beheading and torturing someone was a game. There was a huge section of society which was suffering during his rule. After reading the book it is very clear that Khilji is even more dangerous than ISIS leader Baghdadi and Taliban terrorists. 700 years ago Rani Padmavati did Jauhar. The release has been postponed but still, Karni Sena wants the special screening for themselves. Rajput communities are not trusting Mr Bhansali on the content of the movie. This row is not going to end anytime sooner. History has a portrayal of Padmavati's Jauhar and Khilji's brutality. Allaudin wanted to win against the Delhi's Sultanate, he invaded Devgiri without informing Jalaluddin Khilji. Jalaluddin was his uncle and father-in-law. Jalaluddin considered him as his son but he gave him a terrible death. × In medieval history, killing innocents was very common to win the throne. Allaudin wanted to win against the Delhi's Sultanate, he invaded Devgiri without informing Jalaluddin Khilji. Jalaluddin was his uncle and father-in-law. Jalaluddin considered him as his son but he gave him a terrible death. He killed both of Jalaluddin's sons, its written on page 46 of Rizvi's book. Khilji also killed one of his cousin Akat Khan by beheading him. Allaudin never respected any religion, something which Rizvi mentions again on page 47 of his book. Saeed Ahtar Abbas Rizvi also mentioned about Allaudin's brutality and said that he did all notorious things to save his power. 'Khalji Kaleen Bharat', a book written by Saeed Ahtar Abbas Rizvi. (Others) × On page 29, there is a mention that there was a Hindu deity made of brass metal; it was kept in a temple in Madhya Pradesh that was destroyed and the metal was converted into various things and was sent to Delhi. Also on page 68, its mentioned that during the rule of Khilji, he made various policies to suppress Hindus. If Mr Bhansali has taken all the points from history and uses Padmavati's name, then he has to take care of many other things written in history books, and after knowing all the things only he must glamourise the character of Khilji. There are many people who are supporting their argument by saying that it is freedom of expression and speech. Article 19(1) gives freedom of speech but same way article 19(2) says Indian security and integrity must be kept in mind while talking about freedom of speech and expression. It means freedom of expression is good but one must know his responsibilities and should act with maturity. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: Alauddin Khilji was brutal; Bhansali should not glamourise him

<p>Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari says <em>Padmavati</em>&nbsp;may be stuck in controversy for now but she is confident that the issue will be solved soon.</p>

<p>The<em> Bareilly Ki Barfi </em>director says in a democratic nation like India everyone has the freedom to express their views and the same implies to filmmakers when it comes to creative freedom.<br />
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The release date of Bhansali&#39;s period drama <em>Padmavati </em>has been deferred following country-wide protests by Rajput groups and politicians, who have accused Bhansali of &quot;distorting historical facts&quot;.<br />
<br />
Many groups have been protesting amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Rajput queen Padmini and Allauddin Khilji, a charge repeatedly denied by the director.<br />
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&quot;I feel we as storytellers should be responsible about what we say and how we say it. And at the same time, it is important that each one of us have creative freedom to do what we want.<br />
<br />
&quot;But it is always a two-way process, it is always about give&nbsp;and take. It is never one-sided. We do have the freedom to do what we want to do, but at any point of context, there will be a yin-yang. It is important that debate exists but it should be a two-way process,&quot; Tiwari says in an interview with PTI.<br />
<br />
Bhansali and Deepika Padukone also received threats from various groups. Calling it &quot;unfortunate&quot;, Tiwari says such things should not happen.<br />
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&quot;We stay in a democratic country and each one of us has a voice and it is very unfortunate that these kind of things happen, but eventually it will get solved. That&#39;s what I believe in. I am just hoping for the best. No one wants violence.&quot;</p>

<p>The filmmaker was speaking on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of Goa (IFFI).&nbsp;</p>


The Bareilly Ki Barfi director says in a democratic nation like India everyone has freedom to express their views

Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari says Padmavati may be stuck in controversy for now but she is confident that the issue will be solved soon. The Bareilly Ki Barfi director says in a democratic nation like India everyone has the freedom to express their views and the same implies to filmmakers when it comes to creative freedom. The release date of Bhansali's period drama Padmavati has been deferred following country-wide protests by Rajput groups and politicians, who have accused Bhansali of "distorting historical facts". Many groups have been protesting amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Rajput queen Padmini and Allauddin Khilji, a charge repeatedly denied by the director. "I feel we as storytellers should be responsible about what we say and how we say it. And at the same time, it is important that each one of us have creative freedom to do what we want. "But it is always a two-way process, it is always about give and take. It is never one-sided. We do have the freedom to do what we want to do, but at any point of context, there will be a yin-yang. It is important that debate exists but it should be a two-way process," Tiwari says in an interview with PTI. Bhansali and Deepika Padukone also received threats from various groups. Calling it "unfortunate", Tiwari says such things should not happen. "We stay in a democratic country and each one of us has a voice and it is very unfortunate that these kind of things happen, but eventually it will get solved. That's what I believe in. I am just hoping for the best. No one wants violence." The filmmaker was speaking on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of Goa (IFFI).

I believe everything will get solved: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari on 'Padamavati'

<p>Amid the raging controversy over film <em>Padmavati</em>, an education officer in Madhya Pradesh&#39;s Dewas district has issued a circular banning a song from the period drama from being played at cultural programmes in schools.</p>

<p>However, the district collector on Thursday ordered for withdrawal of the circular with immediate effect and said a show cause notice was being served to the officer concerned to explain his action.</p>

<p>In the circular issued yesterday, Dewas district education officer (DEO) Rajiv Suryavanshi directed the principals and headmasters of all government and private schools to stop using the film&#39;s song, titled <em>Ghoomar</em>, during cultural programmes in their respective institutions.</p>

<p>&quot;Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena has submitted a request letter in the honour of Maa Padmavati. It was requested that Hindu sentiments should not be offended by playing <em>Ghoomar</em>&nbsp;song in the cultural programmes being organised in schools. So, do not use <em>Ghoomar</em>&nbsp;song in the cultural programmes in schools,&quot; reads the circular.</p>

<p>However, Dewas Collector Asheesh Singh said he has asked the education officer to withdraw the circular with immediate effect.</p>

<p>&quot;I came to know about the circular this morning. Only the state government can issue such circulars. The DEO is not entitled to pass such an order. I have directed the DEO to immediately withdraw this order,&quot; Singh told PTI.</p>

<p>He said the DEO is also being served a show cause notice to explain his action, within three days.</p>

<p>The <em>Ghoomar</em>&nbsp;song, featuring actor Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, was released by the makers of the film recently.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier opposed the screening of the film <em>Padmavati&nbsp;</em>and also instituted an award in the name of the Rajput queen.</p>

<p>Chouhan yesterday announced that the life saga of the queen would be made a part of the state school curriculum from next year so that students learn &quot;correct history&quot;.</p>

<p><em>Padmavati</em>, featuring Padukone, Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, has been facing the wrath of various Rajput groups and political leaders, who have accused filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history.</p>

<p>Historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed. She finds mention in the 16th century epic poem <em>Padmavat.</em></p>

<p>Earlier scheduled to arrive in cinema halls on December 1, the release date of the film has been postponed by the makers until further notice.</p>


In the circular issued yesterday, Dewas district education officer directed the principals and headmasters of all government and private schools to stop using the film's song

Amid the raging controversy over film Padmavati, an education officer in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district has issued a circular banning a song from the period drama from being played at cultural programmes in schools. However, the district collector on Thursday ordered for withdrawal of the circular with immediate effect and said a show cause notice was being served to the officer concerned to explain his action. In the circular issued yesterday, Dewas district education officer (DEO) Rajiv Suryavanshi directed the principals and headmasters of all government and private schools to stop using the film's song, titled Ghoomar, during cultural programmes in their respective institutions. "Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena has submitted a request letter in the honour of Maa Padmavati. It was requested that Hindu sentiments should not be offended by playing Ghoomar song in the cultural programmes being organised in schools. So, do not use Ghoomar song in the cultural programmes in schools," reads the circular. However, Dewas Collector Asheesh Singh said he has asked the education officer to withdraw the circular with immediate effect. "I came to know about the circular this morning. Only the state government can issue such circulars. The DEO is not entitled to pass such an order. I have directed the DEO to immediately withdraw this order," Singh told PTI. He said the DEO is also being served a show cause notice to explain his action, within three days. The Ghoomar song, featuring actor Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, was released by the makers of the film recently. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier opposed the screening of the film Padmavati and also instituted an award in the name of the Rajput queen. Chouhan yesterday announced that the life saga of the queen would be made a part of the state school curriculum from next year so that students learn "correct history". Padmavati, featuring Padukone, Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, has been facing the wrath of various Rajput groups and political leaders, who have accused filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history. Historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed. She finds mention in the 16th century epic poem Padmavat. Earlier scheduled to arrive in cinema halls on December 1, the release date of the film has been postponed by the makers until further notice.

MP official bans 'Padmavati' song at school functions, gets show cause notice from district collector

<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on November 28 a fresh plea seeking a direction to makers of the Bollywood film &quot;Padmavati&quot; not to release it outside India on December 1.</p>

<p>A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear on Tuesday the plea that alleged that the makers of &quot;Padmavati&quot; misrepresented facts before the court with regard to Censor Board&#39;s approval on releasing songs and the promo.</p>

<p>&quot;We will take it up on Tuesday. You (advocate) file a writ petition,&quot; the bench told advocate M L Sharma who mentioned his fresh plea for an urgent hearing.</p>

<p>Sharma alleged that grave damage will be done to social harmony if the movie is allowed to be released outside India.</p>

<p>He also sought criminal prosecution of the makers of the movie for allegedly misrepresenting facts that the songs and promos were cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).</p>

<p>Earlier, the apex court had dismissed his plea seeking to delete certain alleged objectionable scenes from the movie.</p>

<p>The bench had observed that the CBFC has not yet given the certificate to the movie and the apex court cannot &quot;injunct&quot; a statutory body from doing its duty.</p>

<p>The counsel for one of the respondents had earlier told the court that the film&#39;s promo was released and it has got the requisite CBFC approval.</p>

<p>Sharma had approached the court seeking a direction for removal of all scenes of alleged &#39;character assassination&#39; of Queen Padmavati from the movie before its release.</p>

<p>Viacom 18, the makers of the film, had earlier said that they have deferred the movie&#39;s release which was originally scheduled for December 1.</p>

<p>The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was roughed up by members of Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>


The petitioner also sought criminal prosecution of the makers of the movie for allegedly misrepresenting facts that the songs and promos were cleared by CBFC

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on November 28 a fresh plea seeking a direction to makers of the Bollywood film "Padmavati" not to release it outside India on December 1. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear on Tuesday the plea that alleged that the makers of "Padmavati" misrepresented facts before the court with regard to Censor Board's approval on releasing songs and the promo. "We will take it up on Tuesday. You (advocate) file a writ petition," the bench told advocate M L Sharma who mentioned his fresh plea for an urgent hearing. Sharma alleged that grave damage will be done to social harmony if the movie is allowed to be released outside India. He also sought criminal prosecution of the makers of the movie for allegedly misrepresenting facts that the songs and promos were cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Earlier, the apex court had dismissed his plea seeking to delete certain alleged objectionable scenes from the movie. The bench had observed that the CBFC has not yet given the certificate to the movie and the apex court cannot "injunct" a statutory body from doing its duty. The counsel for one of the respondents had earlier told the court that the film's promo was released and it has got the requisite CBFC approval. Sharma had approached the court seeking a direction for removal of all scenes of alleged 'character assassination' of Queen Padmavati from the movie before its release. Viacom 18, the makers of the film, had earlier said that they have deferred the movie's release which was originally scheduled for December 1. The set of the movie was vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was roughed up by members of Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

Supreme Court to hear fresh plea to stall release of Padmavati outside India

<p>Even as Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s <em>Padmavati </em>faces severe opposition in India, the British Certification Board has passed the film for its official release on December 1 in United Kingdom.&nbsp;<br />
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The Board has cleared <em>Padmavati </em>with no cuts and has certified it with 12 A. The official handle of BBFC tweeted the certification of <em>Padmavati </em>and mentioned all the details including the release date of the film and under which category the film falls.&nbsp;<br />
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The tweet reads: &ldquo;Moderate Violence, injury detail&#39;, run time 164 minutes and further clarifies that the release date is 1/12/2017 as decided earlier(sic).&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="cs">PADMAVATI (12A) moderate violence, injury detail <a href="https://t.co/2S1pF33WVN">https://t.co/2S1pF33WVN</a></p>
&mdash; BBFC (@BBFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBFC/status/933396475358441472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A screen grab of the BBFC certificate of Padmavati. (WION)</p>
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<p>However, sources close to the film have categorically stated that makers will not release the film internationally unless it is cleared by the censor board in India. &quot;They won&#39;t dispatch international print till domestic is cleared by the censors,&quot; the source told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There has been a massive uproar in India against the film&#39;s content with several Rajput outfits claiming that the film distorts history and hence should be banned. The film was earlier supposed to release in India on December 1.</p>

<p>Owing to the protests, the makers decided to push the release of the film. <em>Padmavati</em> has already been banned in two states- Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh while Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab have demanded cuts in the film for it to release in their respective states.&nbsp;</p>


The British Certification Board has passed the film for its official release on December 1 in United Kingdom

Even as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati faces severe opposition in India, the British Certification Board has passed the film for its official release on December 1 in United Kingdom. The Board has cleared Padmavati with no cuts and has certified it with 12 A. The official handle of BBFC tweeted the certification of Padmavati and mentioned all the details including the release date of the film and under which category the film falls. The tweet reads: “Moderate Violence, injury detail', run time 164 minutes and further clarifies that the release date is 1/12/2017 as decided earlier(sic)." PADMAVATI (12A) moderate violence, injury detail https://t.co/2S1pF33WVN — BBFC (@BBFC) November 22, 2017 × A screen grab of the BBFC certificate of Padmavati. (WION) × However, sources close to the film have categorically stated that makers will not release the film internationally unless it is cleared by the censor board in India. "They won't dispatch international print till domestic is cleared by the censors," the source told WION. There has been a massive uproar in India against the film's content with several Rajput outfits claiming that the film distorts history and hence should be banned. The film was earlier supposed to release in India on December 1. Owing to the protests, the makers decided to push the release of the film. Padmavati has already been banned in two states- Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh while Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab have demanded cuts in the film for it to release in their respective states.

Padmavati cleared by British Censor Board without any cuts but makers not keen to release film in UK

<p>Celebrated Bollywood singer and Minister of State Babul Supriyo spoke to WION&rsquo;s Kartikeya Sharma about the Padmavati controversy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Supriyo said violence and threats to filmmakers are unacceptable, and that he hopes the film will be released soon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also spoke about the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<strong>Sir, how do you view the Padmavati controversy?</strong></p>

<p>Creative freedom exists in our country. The entire noise which exists around the film Padmavati is not desirable and lot of people have taken freedom of speech for granted. Whatever has happened is sad and shouldn&rsquo;t have happened. Obviously CBFC is seized of the matter. IB ministry has made it very clear that matter should be left to CBFC. Controversies like these invites people to make comments out of turn. Only way to resolve the issue is through process and dialogue.</p>

<p><strong>Is it one of creative freedom?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>That is fair enough. I cannot give you an answer from an extreme point of view. Let&rsquo;s take Padmavati aside for a moment. The debate on artistic freedom has been age-old worldwide. In France, a piece of art became controversial and it was moved. The debate about good cinema and bad cinema continues. Padmavati is a huge film. There are many people who want to see the film but there are some question marks on it too. People who have not seen the film are raising the questions. There are apprehensions and I feel dialogue is the way forward. We can celebrate the life of the queen without hurting the sentiment which also needs to be looked into.</p>

<p><strong>Deepika Padukone and other actors are being threatened?</strong></p>

<p>That&rsquo;s not correct. Deepika is just an artist who portrayed the character. She did what she was asked for. Film is a director&rsquo;s medium. Threats are deplorable and no one subscribes to it. Deepika Padukone is a loved artist. The law of the land applies to everyone. There were lot of controversies around Ae Dil Hai Mushkil that subsequently got resolved. I&rsquo;m sure this too shall be resolved despite all the noise. It is going to find a good closure.</p>

<p><strong>Do you think bans work in the age of the internet?</strong></p>

<p>I would say that let process take its course. Even if CBFC doesn&rsquo;t agree, filmmakers will still have tribunals to look into the issue. People have the liberty to approach other bodies. Artistic disagreements can happen with the CBFC and other bodies. I think it should be resolved peacefully. Music is about peace as it provides reprieve from the grind of daily life. I just hope that at the end, good for everyone shall prevail.</p>

<p><strong>Should films be judged from the position of a community&rsquo;s honour?</strong></p>

<p>The CBFC has to do the job. Life is not what is happening to you but how you react to it. Film is a huge process. Any good form of art it goes through its metamorphosis. I&rsquo;m sure it will find its own way to reach people. As an artist, I pray for it and don&rsquo;t want to take sides by adding fuel to the fire. For an example, with Hussain there were many controversies and I would see him at Lokhandwala but no one would attack him. We aren&rsquo;t living a dream. People have their own apprehensions but I hope Padmavati reaches people in most beautiful manner. Cinema is about beauty. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Is the BJP well placed in Gujarat?</strong></p>

<p>I&rsquo;m certain that BJP will surmount problems in Gujarat. Unless and until you move into a house you cannot decide what to do with it. GST is only having teething problems which is being addressed properly and at regular intervals. GST is the biggest reform. The debate will continue. If you don&rsquo;t bring larger section into the tax net it would not work in future for India. Modi has belled the cat and shown the courage to take reform agenda forward. Lot of praise should go to the Prime Minister Modi. We will win Gujarat. The debate only makes the follow-up of the election very interesting.</p>

<p><strong>How do you view Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s </strong><strong>campaign.</strong><strong> The Centre&#39;s economic policies have become an issue...</strong></p>

<p>If Rahul Gandhi choses to take the side of the tax evaders, he will obviously find support. Lot of people wouldn&rsquo;t like to pay taxes. But lot of people also pay taxes. Honest people pay taxes. They pay taxes for the country as poor needs to be subsidised. The government needs to meet those goals. Rahul has a lineage and people will listen to him. But he is confusing people. All state elections in past have shown that the mandate has been for Modi. Congress, by promising reservations to Patels, is akin to fooling people as our senior leadership has pointed out.</p>

<p><strong>Why couldn&rsquo;t this be solved by the local BJP leadership?</strong></p>

<p>In a party, you cannot have six or seven Narendra Modi. He is the biggest leader and he will be at the centre stage. His move to centre from the state has not weakened the state unit. His vision is being implemented. You cannot have his replacement yet others are doing their job. He will be missed in key areas in the state but it doesn&rsquo;t mean that job is not being done.</p>

<p><strong>Why is the BJP importing leaders like Mukul Roy from other parties?</strong></p>

<p>Lot of people are getting convinced by our ideology. What is wrong in people joining us. People change with times and get attracted to other ideologies. Don&rsquo;t people in corporates move. Don&rsquo;t people want to do better in life. Coming to BJP is a promotion and I welcome them. When you are trying to do better in life then the better place to go is BJP. They are doing the right thing.</p>

<p><strong>What were the hits and misses of the BJP campaign in West Bengal?</strong></p>

<p>TMC and Left for a long period of time have practised different kind of politics. In remote areas, they have done nothing. Votes were purchased. 100 rupees also make a difference in some areas. They have given cycles in the name of government schemes.</p>

<p><strong>But the BJP was not able to turn its support into seats?</strong></p>

<p>BJP has not been traditionally present in West Bengal. It was Left and Congress and then TMC. We are taking steps. Mamata, out of 30 minutes, spends majority of time attacking BJP. We will do very well in 2019. We have the space in West Bengal.</p>

<p><strong>Is the BJP prepared for the 2019 elections?</strong></p>

<p>There will be few hits and misses but in the end, we will come out stronger. Our party has done exceedingly well under the Prime Minister. The reform agenda will continue.</p>


Deepika did what she was asked to do, Supriyo told WION. He added that threats are deplorable and no one subscribes to them

Celebrated Bollywood singer and Minister of State Babul Supriyo spoke to WION’s Kartikeya Sharma about the Padmavati controversy. Supriyo said violence and threats to filmmakers are unacceptable, and that he hopes the film will be released soon. He also spoke about the Gujarat elections. Sir, how do you view the Padmavati controversy? Creative freedom exists in our country. The entire noise which exists around the film Padmavati is not desirable and lot of people have taken freedom of speech for granted. Whatever has happened is sad and shouldn’t have happened. Obviously CBFC is seized of the matter. IB ministry has made it very clear that matter should be left to CBFC. Controversies like these invites people to make comments out of turn. Only way to resolve the issue is through process and dialogue. Is it one of creative freedom? That is fair enough. I cannot give you an answer from an extreme point of view. Let’s take Padmavati aside for a moment. The debate on artistic freedom has been age-old worldwide. In France, a piece of art became controversial and it was moved. The debate about good cinema and bad cinema continues. Padmavati is a huge film. There are many people who want to see the film but there are some question marks on it too. People who have not seen the film are raising the questions. There are apprehensions and I feel dialogue is the way forward. We can celebrate the life of the queen without hurting the sentiment which also needs to be looked into. Deepika Padukone and other actors are being threatened? That’s not correct. Deepika is just an artist who portrayed the character. She did what she was asked for. Film is a director’s medium. Threats are deplorable and no one subscribes to it. Deepika Padukone is a loved artist. The law of the land applies to everyone. There were lot of controversies around Ae Dil Hai Mushkil that subsequently got resolved. I’m sure this too shall be resolved despite all the noise. It is going to find a good closure. Do you think bans work in the age of the internet? I would say that let process take its course. Even if CBFC doesn’t agree, filmmakers will still have tribunals to look into the issue. People have the liberty to approach other bodies. Artistic disagreements can happen with the CBFC and other bodies. I think it should be resolved peacefully. Music is about peace as it provides reprieve from the grind of daily life. I just hope that at the end, good for everyone shall prevail. Should films be judged from the position of a community’s honour? The CBFC has to do the job. Life is not what is happening to you but how you react to it. Film is a huge process. Any good form of art it goes through its metamorphosis. I’m sure it will find its own way to reach people. As an artist, I pray for it and don’t want to take sides by adding fuel to the fire. For an example, with Hussain there were many controversies and I would see him at Lokhandwala but no one would attack him. We aren’t living a dream. People have their own apprehensions but I hope Padmavati reaches people in most beautiful manner. Cinema is about beauty. Is the BJP well placed in Gujarat? I’m certain that BJP will surmount problems in Gujarat. Unless and until you move into a house you cannot decide what to do with it. GST is only having teething problems which is being addressed properly and at regular intervals. GST is the biggest reform. The debate will continue. If you don’t bring larger section into the tax net it would not work in future for India. Modi has belled the cat and shown the courage to take reform agenda forward. Lot of praise should go to the Prime Minister Modi. We will win Gujarat. The debate only makes the follow-up of the election very interesting. How do you view Rahul Gandhi’s campaign. The Centre's economic policies have become an issue... If Rahul Gandhi choses to take the side of the tax evaders, he will obviously find support. Lot of people wouldn’t like to pay taxes. But lot of people also pay taxes. Honest people pay taxes. They pay taxes for the country as poor needs to be subsidised. The government needs to meet those goals. Rahul has a lineage and people will listen to him. But he is confusing people. All state elections in past have shown that the mandate has been for Modi. Congress, by promising reservations to Patels, is akin to fooling people as our senior leadership has pointed out. Why couldn’t this be solved by the local BJP leadership? In a party, you cannot have six or seven Narendra Modi. He is the biggest leader and he will be at the centre stage. His move to centre from the state has not weakened the state unit. His vision is being implemented. You cannot have his replacement yet others are doing their job. He will be missed in key areas in the state but it doesn’t mean that job is not being done. Why is the BJP importing leaders like Mukul Roy from other parties? Lot of people are getting convinced by our ideology. What is wrong in people joining us. People change with times and get attracted to other ideologies. Don’t people in corporates move. Don’t people want to do better in life. Coming to BJP is a promotion and I welcome them. When you are trying to do better in life then the better place to go is BJP. They are doing the right thing. What were the hits and misses of the BJP campaign in West Bengal? TMC and Left for a long period of time have practised different kind of politics. In remote areas, they have done nothing. Votes were purchased. 100 rupees also make a difference in some areas. They have given cycles in the name of government schemes. But the BJP was not able to turn its support into seats? BJP has not been traditionally present in West Bengal. It was Left and Congress and then TMC. We are taking steps. Mamata, out of 30 minutes, spends majority of time attacking BJP. We will do very well in 2019. We have the space in West Bengal. Is the BJP prepared for the 2019 elections? There will be few hits and misses but in the end, we will come out stronger. Our party has done exceedingly well under the Prime Minister. The reform agenda will continue.

Not correct that Deepika, others were threatened: Union Minister Babul Supriyo tells WION on Padmavati

<p>I grew up hearing pride sagas of Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Sanga, Rani Padmini, Rani Lakshmibai and a lot more heroes. My grandmother had a treasure of such heroic tales. From interesting folklores to epic poems written by famous personalities, those bedtime stories gave me the fascination to know Indian history.</p>

<p>When I learned more about Indian history, one thing was very clear that history is always written from the perspective of the victors, not the losers. Victory tales are easier to carry forward to next generation and there are various ways of doing it, such as writing songs, poems, stories, movies etc.</p>

<p>Cinema has a huge impact on the people. Its content, music, theme, location, actors, play an important role in establishing the relation between cinema and society. Movies and TV serials based on history and mythology have lasting impression for decades and sometimes forever.</p>

<p>For instance, Ramanand Sagar&#39;s Ramayan was a very popular TV show in India during the 90s. The popular actor Arun Govil who played Ram was actually considered as Lord Ram by many believers. Once, he was beaten up by the people when they caught him smoking.</p>

<p>There are several other examples of such cases where people have gotten into such acts by showing their passion for a particular movie or TV serial.</p>

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<h5>There are people, who are not protesting but has deep-rooted sentiments associated with Rani Padmavati but their sentiments are unheard.</h5>
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<p>On the contrary, the protest done by Karni Sena and Rajput communities for the movies Padmavati is entirely different. The movie, which is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and has Deepika Padukone&nbsp;in the lead role, is said to have distorted history.</p>

<p>I don&#39;t support the ongoing row but there are people, who are not protesting but have deep-rooted sentiments associated with Rani Padmavati, and their sentiments are unheard. I am&nbsp;waiting for the CBFC&#39;s certificate and movie&#39;s disclaimer, before that I can not comment on the movie.</p>

<p>When I talk about the disclaimer, there are two ways it can happen, first, either the&nbsp;disclaimer will say that the movie is based on fictional characters but there is the presence of historical characters, such as Rawal Singh and Alauddin Khilji and both have a documented history. Also, if it is based on fiction or myth then, why the name Padmavati is taken? He could have used some other name Leelawati or Mayawati but why Padmavati?</p>

<p>It is not about Padmavati&#39;s physical existence but Rajput community believes in Rani Padmavati and that belief is connected to their sentiment. Even Sai Baba was politicised, but many who believed in him still worship him. The controversy that said, &quot;Sai Baba was not a God or a Saint, he should not be worshipped&quot; just benefitted fringe groups and factions. Many of us do believe in God and Goddess but there will always be a question on the existence of God/Goddess as well. But believers are going to believe.</p>

<p>Second, if the disclaimer says that movie is based on real historical characters, then Mr Bhansali is proving the point that Rani Padmavati existed.</p>

<p>Biography of Alauddin was documented by a Persian historian Wassaf and it is one the few sources to learn about Khilji dynasty. Along with Wassaf, Amir Khusrau also has written about Alauddin Khilji.</p>

<p>In the 12th century, Khusrau has documented that Alauddin treated the obedient Hindu zamindars kindly and granted more favours to them than they had expected. He also stated that all the insolent Hindus in the realm of Hind had died on the battlefield and the other Hindus had bowed their heads before Alauddin.</p>

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<h5>The best way to get rid of such protests for the movies which are based on mythology or history, the director must get the script approved by Censor Board then start the production process.</h5>
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<p>Raja Rawal Singh did not bow his head and was defeated inadequately in the battlefield, though he fought bravely along with his commanders Gora and Badal, but died at the end, leaving behind his two wives and the empire. The wives, Rani Prabhavati and Rani Padmavati had no other option to save their pride and honour from the invaders through self-immolation (Jauhar).</p>

<p>In my opinion, the best way to get rid of such protests around movies, which are based on mythology or history, is to get the script approved by the Censor Board then start the production process. To judge the movie after the release doesn&#39;t make any sense. Movies like Padmavati, which has&nbsp;gathered attention will do good business. If the director has made the film to earn profit then its ok otherwise if he is portraying Rajputana pride and honour then the movie must soothe the Rajput communities.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


The Rajput community believes in Rani Padmavati and that belief is connected to their sentiments.

I grew up hearing pride sagas of Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Sanga, Rani Padmini, Rani Lakshmibai and a lot more heroes. My grandmother had a treasure of such heroic tales. From interesting folklores to epic poems written by famous personalities, those bedtime stories gave me the fascination to know Indian history. When I learned more about Indian history, one thing was very clear that history is always written from the perspective of the victors, not the losers. Victory tales are easier to carry forward to next generation and there are various ways of doing it, such as writing songs, poems, stories, movies etc. Cinema has a huge impact on the people. Its content, music, theme, location, actors, play an important role in establishing the relation between cinema and society. Movies and TV serials based on history and mythology have lasting impression for decades and sometimes forever. For instance, Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan was a very popular TV show in India during the 90s. The popular actor Arun Govil who played Ram was actually considered as Lord Ram by many believers. Once, he was beaten up by the people when they caught him smoking. There are several other examples of such cases where people have gotten into such acts by showing their passion for a particular movie or TV serial. There are people, who are not protesting but has deep-rooted sentiments associated with Rani Padmavati but their sentiments are unheard. × On the contrary, the protest done by Karni Sena and Rajput communities for the movies Padmavati is entirely different. The movie, which is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and has Deepika Padukone in the lead role, is said to have distorted history. I don't support the ongoing row but there are people, who are not protesting but have deep-rooted sentiments associated with Rani Padmavati, and their sentiments are unheard. I am waiting for the CBFC's certificate and movie's disclaimer, before that I can not comment on the movie. When I talk about the disclaimer, there are two ways it can happen, first, either the disclaimer will say that the movie is based on fictional characters but there is the presence of historical characters, such as Rawal Singh and Alauddin Khilji and both have a documented history. Also, if it is based on fiction or myth then, why the name Padmavati is taken? He could have used some other name Leelawati or Mayawati but why Padmavati? It is not about Padmavati's physical existence but Rajput community believes in Rani Padmavati and that belief is connected to their sentiment. Even Sai Baba was politicised, but many who believed in him still worship him. The controversy that said, "Sai Baba was not a God or a Saint, he should not be worshipped" just benefitted fringe groups and factions. Many of us do believe in God and Goddess but there will always be a question on the existence of God/Goddess as well. But believers are going to believe. Second, if the disclaimer says that movie is based on real historical characters, then Mr Bhansali is proving the point that Rani Padmavati existed. Biography of Alauddin was documented by a Persian historian Wassaf and it is one the few sources to learn about Khilji dynasty. Along with Wassaf, Amir Khusrau also has written about Alauddin Khilji. In the 12th century, Khusrau has documented that Alauddin treated the obedient Hindu zamindars kindly and granted more favours to them than they had expected. He also stated that all the insolent Hindus in the realm of Hind had died on the battlefield and the other Hindus had bowed their heads before Alauddin. The best way to get rid of such protests for the movies which are based on mythology or history, the director must get the script approved by Censor Board then start the production process. × Raja Rawal Singh did not bow his head and was defeated inadequately in the battlefield, though he fought bravely along with his commanders Gora and Badal, but died at the end, leaving behind his two wives and the empire. The wives, Rani Prabhavati and Rani Padmavati had no other option to save their pride and honour from the invaders through self-immolation (Jauhar). In my opinion, the best way to get rid of such protests around movies, which are based on mythology or history, is to get the script approved by the Censor Board then start the production process. To judge the movie after the release doesn't make any sense. Movies like Padmavati, which has gathered attention will do good business. If the director has made the film to earn profit then its ok otherwise if he is portraying Rajputana pride and honour then the movie must soothe the Rajput communities. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: As a Rajput girl, I believe in Padmavati

<p>Alauddin Khilji has become a household name, thanks to the swirling row over <em>Padmavati</em>, but not many know that Delhi Sultanate&#39;s most powerful ruler lies buried in the Qutub complex.<br />
<br />
Ironically, the tomb which is located in the same complex as the Qutub Minar, a popular tourist spot, is often overshadowed by the grandeur of the world&#39;s tallest brick minaret built by his ancestors.<br />
<br />
Historian and writer R V Smith argues that the popular contention that Khilji was a womaniser is untrue, and asserts that he was the one who &quot;saved Hindustan from the Mongols&quot;.<br />
<br />
&quot;Had he not been there, the shape of Hindustan would have been different, in terms of geographical and racial compositions,&quot; he told PTI Bhasha.&nbsp;He clarified that Khilji invaded Chittor, but only to expand his kingdom like any other ruler.&nbsp;&quot;It was not done for Rani Padmini,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
According to Smith, Khilji defeated Rajput king Ratan Singh, conquered his territory, and then asked to see the queen, about whose beauty he had heard.<br />
<br />
Rakesh Batabyal, a professor of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said there is not much left for historians to say on the <em>Padmavati</em>&nbsp;issue, as it has now become a debate on freedom of expression, creativity and a political discourse.<br />
<br />
&quot;History is a product of knowledge but today, forces have emerged in the country who do not recognise history. &quot;Ignorance levels are so high that period films are now being considered history,&quot; the professor said.</p>

<p>A careful tour of the complex reveals that the tomb is located within a madrasa built by Khilji as a college for education on Islamic scriptures and theology.&nbsp;However, even the security guards at the complex seem to be unaware of this significant name in history.<br />
<br />
&quot;Is he the same Khilji, who is being talked about in the film <em>Padmavati&#39;</em>?&nbsp;asks one of them.</p>


The tomb is located in the same complex as the Qutub Minar

Alauddin Khilji has become a household name, thanks to the swirling row over Padmavati, but not many know that Delhi Sultanate's most powerful ruler lies buried in the Qutub complex. Ironically, the tomb which is located in the same complex as the Qutub Minar, a popular tourist spot, is often overshadowed by the grandeur of the world's tallest brick minaret built by his ancestors. Historian and writer R V Smith argues that the popular contention that Khilji was a womaniser is untrue, and asserts that he was the one who "saved Hindustan from the Mongols". "Had he not been there, the shape of Hindustan would have been different, in terms of geographical and racial compositions," he told PTI Bhasha. He clarified that Khilji invaded Chittor, but only to expand his kingdom like any other ruler. "It was not done for Rani Padmini," he said. According to Smith, Khilji defeated Rajput king Ratan Singh, conquered his territory, and then asked to see the queen, about whose beauty he had heard. Rakesh Batabyal, a professor of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said there is not much left for historians to say on the Padmavati issue, as it has now become a debate on freedom of expression, creativity and a political discourse. "History is a product of knowledge but today, forces have emerged in the country who do not recognise history. "Ignorance levels are so high that period films are now being considered history," the professor said. A careful tour of the complex reveals that the tomb is located within a madrasa built by Khilji as a college for education on Islamic scriptures and theology. However, even the security guards at the complex seem to be unaware of this significant name in history. "Is he the same Khilji, who is being talked about in the film Padmavati'? asks one of them.

Amid 'Padmavati' controversy, Alauddin Khilji's tomb in Delhi remains unnoticed

<p><em>Padmavati </em>will not be screened in Gujarat. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, on Wednesday, stated that the home department of the state had decided to ban the film to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state which is headed for an election.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Gujarat is the second state to ban the film. A few days back, Madhya Pradesh had declared it would not screen the film.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;No <em>Padmavati</em> in Gujarat. The government will not allow its release in the state. We don&rsquo;t want any controversy and law and order situation in the state,&rdquo; he said.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;There are elections here and there could be a law and order situation. Many sections are hurt and have opposed it too,&rdquo; he added. Voting will be held in Gujarat on December 9 and 14.<br />
<br />
Earlier a few BJP MLAs from Gujarat had written the election commissioner to defer the release of the film as it would clash with state elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also expressed their displeasure over the content of the film. Both states have requested that the film should remove objectionable scenes- which may hurt the sentiments of the people- and only then will they allow the film to be screened in their respective states.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The film has been riddled by controversy for a long time and the makers have pushed the release of the film to next year. Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s <em>Padmavati</em> was earlier slated for a December 1 release.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A Lok Sabha panel has asked the CBFC and the information and broadcasting ministry to submit a report on the film which stars &nbsp;Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, by November 30.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Gujarat is the second state to ban the film.

Padmavati will not be screened in Gujarat. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, on Wednesday, stated that the home department of the state had decided to ban the film to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state which is headed for an election. Gujarat is the second state to ban the film. A few days back, Madhya Pradesh had declared it would not screen the film. “No Padmavati in Gujarat. The government will not allow its release in the state. We don’t want any controversy and law and order situation in the state,” he said. “There are elections here and there could be a law and order situation. Many sections are hurt and have opposed it too,” he added. Voting will be held in Gujarat on December 9 and 14. Earlier a few BJP MLAs from Gujarat had written the election commissioner to defer the release of the film as it would clash with state elections. Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also expressed their displeasure over the content of the film. Both states have requested that the film should remove objectionable scenes- which may hurt the sentiments of the people- and only then will they allow the film to be screened in their respective states. The film has been riddled by controversy for a long time and the makers have pushed the release of the film to next year. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati was earlier slated for a December 1 release. A Lok Sabha panel has asked the CBFC and the information and broadcasting ministry to submit a report on the film which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, by November 30.

Padmavati row: After Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat bans the film

<p>Amid the ongoing uproar over <em>Padmavati</em>, actor Aditi Rao Hydari today said she was having a tough time making sense of where India was headed as a country.<br />
<br />
The 31-year-old actor, who features in Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s controversy-hit film as Alauddin Khilji&#39;s wife, questioned people who are not &quot;angry&quot; when women are daily subjected to violence in the country.<br />
<br />
&quot;Why aren&#39;t people as angry and demanding change when women are raped, violated, sold, beaten, pimped, killed in the womb. I don&#39;t get it.&nbsp;I love my country, but I don&#39;t understand it anymore. I hope my country understands what it&#39;s becoming. Can I have my country back please?&quot; Aditi wrote on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why aren&#39;t people as angry and demanding change when women are raped, violated, sold, beaten, pimped, killed in the womb.<br />
I don&#39;t get it.??<br />
I love my country, but I don&#39;t understand it anymore. I hope my country understands what it&#39;s becoming.<br />
can I have my country back pl ????</p>
&mdash; Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) <a href="https://twitter.com/aditiraohydari/status/933233130214789120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bhansali has been accused of &quot;distorting historical facts&quot; and &quot;wrongful&quot; depiction of queen Padmini by several Rajput groups and political leaders, featuring actor Deepika Padukone in the title role.</p>

<p>Actors Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh also star in the magnum opus, whose release has been postponed till further notice from the makers.&nbsp;</p>


The 31-year-old actor features in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversy-hit film as Alauddin Khilji's wife

Amid the ongoing uproar over Padmavati, actor Aditi Rao Hydari today said she was having a tough time making sense of where India was headed as a country. The 31-year-old actor, who features in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversy-hit film as Alauddin Khilji's wife, questioned people who are not "angry" when women are daily subjected to violence in the country. "Why aren't people as angry and demanding change when women are raped, violated, sold, beaten, pimped, killed in the womb. I don't get it. I love my country, but I don't understand it anymore. I hope my country understands what it's becoming. Can I have my country back please?" Aditi wrote on Twitter. Why aren't people as angry and demanding change when women are raped, violated, sold, beaten, pimped, killed in the womb. I don't get it.?? I love my country, but I don't understand it anymore. I hope my country understands what it's becoming. can I have my country back pl ???? — Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) November 22, 2017 × Bhansali has been accused of "distorting historical facts" and "wrongful" depiction of queen Padmini by several Rajput groups and political leaders, featuring actor Deepika Padukone in the title role. Actors Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh also star in the magnum opus, whose release has been postponed till further notice from the makers.

Aditi Rao Hydari on Padmavati: Hope India understands what it's becoming

<p>A lawyer has filed a complaint before the Lucknow district court on screening the film &quot;Padmavati&quot; for three journalists -- Rajat Sharma, Arnab Goswami, and Ved Pratap Vaidik -- before showing the film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), a violation of section 7 (1) of the cinematography act.</p>

<p>The complaint was filed by Ashok Pandey.</p>

<p>The complaint, which was filed before the judicial magistrate, will be heard on November 24.</p>

<p>Censor Board chairman Prasoon Joshi had earlier criticised the makers of the film for screening it for the press without the censor board &quot;having seen or certified&quot; the film.</p>

<p>&quot;Disappointing that &#39;Padmavati&#39; is being screened for media and getting reviewed on national channels without the CBFC having seen or certified the Film. This compromises role of systems and balances that are part of a functioning industry,&quot; the censor board chairman had said.</p>

<p>The film was apparently screened for select members of the press on Saturday morning.</p>

<p>The Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film has been in the centre of a storm after fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena accused it of distorting historical facts.</p>

<p>The director has rubbished their claims of an alleged dream sequence between actress Deepika Padukone&#39;s Rani Padmini and actor Ranveer Singh&#39;s Alauddin Khilji.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/bollywood-padmavati-no-controversial-scene-dialogue-sequence-that-hurts-rajput-pride-reveals-rajat-sharma-aaj-ki-baat-412579">An India TV story by their online desk on November 18 said</a> that their editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma said on his prime-time show &quot;Aaj Ki Baat&quot;, &quot; After watching the entire film, I can emphatically say that there is not a single dialogue, not a single scene, not a single sequence that can be said to go against the proud history of the Rajputs of Rajasthan&quot;.</p>

<p>A tweet by Republic channel, founded by Arnab Goswami, said:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicWatchesPadmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicWatchesPadmavati</a> | Watch Arnab debating at 9 pm. Tweet us using the hashtag <a href="https://t.co/SYXnMCwMUO">pic.twitter.com/SYXnMCwMUO</a></p>
&mdash; Republic (@republic) <a href="https://twitter.com/republic/status/931536096055328768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On November 16, the CBFC sent back the film citing incomplete paperwork and technical problems.</p>

<p>The film&#39;s co-producers Viacom18 Motion Pictures have postponed the release date of the film which was originally supposed to hit theatres on December 1.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The complaint was filed in the Lucknow district court, naming the three journalists as Arnab Goswami, Rajat Sharma, and Ved Pratap Vaidik

A lawyer has filed a complaint before the Lucknow district court on screening the film "Padmavati" for three journalists -- Rajat Sharma, Arnab Goswami, and Ved Pratap Vaidik -- before showing the film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), a violation of section 7 (1) of the cinematography act. The complaint was filed by Ashok Pandey. The complaint, which was filed before the judicial magistrate, will be heard on November 24. Censor Board chairman Prasoon Joshi had earlier criticised the makers of the film for screening it for the press without the censor board "having seen or certified" the film. "Disappointing that 'Padmavati' is being screened for media and getting reviewed on national channels without the CBFC having seen or certified the Film. This compromises role of systems and balances that are part of a functioning industry," the censor board chairman had said. The film was apparently screened for select members of the press on Saturday morning. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film has been in the centre of a storm after fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena accused it of distorting historical facts. The director has rubbished their claims of an alleged dream sequence between actress Deepika Padukone's Rani Padmini and actor Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji. An India TV story by their online desk on November 18 said that their editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma said on his prime-time show "Aaj Ki Baat", " After watching the entire film, I can emphatically say that there is not a single dialogue, not a single scene, not a single sequence that can be said to go against the proud history of the Rajputs of Rajasthan". A tweet by Republic channel, founded by Arnab Goswami, said: #RepublicWatchesPadmavati | Watch Arnab debating at 9 pm. Tweet us using the hashtag pic.twitter.com/SYXnMCwMUO — Republic (@republic) November 17, 2017 × On November 16, the CBFC sent back the film citing incomplete paperwork and technical problems. The film's co-producers Viacom18 Motion Pictures have postponed the release date of the film which was originally supposed to hit theatres on December 1.

How was 'Padmavati' screened for 3 journalists before CBFC approval? Lawyer files complaint

<p>Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus Padmavati was being touted as the big release of 2017. Amid a slew of controversies, the makers decided to defer the film. The postponement may have affected the team of Padmavati, but it has surely worked in favour of other smaller films.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, <em>Padmavati </em>was scheduled to release on December 1. Smaller films had to pace out their release accordingly, considering the hype and interest around Bhansali&#39;s film. But with release date deferred many films have now moved their release dates. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
Kapil Sharma&#39;s Firangi was earlier slated for a November 24th release but is now reportedly being released on December 1. The film is yet to get a CBFC certification which is likely to come by today, <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-will-kapil-sharma-s-firangi-take-padmavati-s-release-date-2561350">DNA reported</a>. If the certification comes on time then the film would be releasing this week. But makers have also been considering December 1 as a release date, as more theaters will be available for the film. A trade source told DNA, &ldquo;<em>Firangi </em>will have two weeks&rsquo; run before <em>Fukrey 2</em> releases. That will boost the film&rsquo;s collections as there&rsquo;s no other film to compete with. The film will get a good breathing space.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Meanwhile <em>Fukrey 2</em>, which was earlier to release on December 15th will now release on December 8th. The film&#39;s producer, Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed the news on Twitter on Tuesday. &quot;Going back to our original release date of 8th December.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Going back to our original release date of 8th December.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FukreyReturns8Dec?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FukreyReturns8Dec</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FukreyReturns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FukreyReturns</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/excelmovies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@excelmovies</a> <a href="https://t.co/YyHhucUlPh">pic.twitter.com/YyHhucUlPh</a></p>
&mdash; Ritesh Sidhwani (@ritesh_sid) <a href="https://twitter.com/ritesh_sid/status/932908452732592128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Interestingly, Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer <em>Monsoon Shootout </em>has also preponed its release date to December 8th. according to a source close to the film, &quot;The film&#39;s content is strong and the makers are certain if they get a longer period at the box office, it will help them benefit from it before another major release comes by&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Monsoon Shootout has been directed by Amit Kumar and is a story of a rookie cop and his struggle to make a choice to convict a suspect. The film premiered in 2013 at Cannes and was nominated for the Golden Camera Award. The film also stars Tanishtha Chatterjee and Neeraj Kabi in pivotal roles. The film has been produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap and has Asif Kapadia as the executive producer.<br />
<br />
While makers of Padmavati have not confirmed the new release date of the film, rumours have it that the film will be releasing in the first part of 2018. As of now, the big release that is expected to do well at the box office this year is Salman Khan&#39;s <em>Tiger Zinda Hai</em> which releases on December 22.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Smaller films had to pace out their release earlier, considering the hype and interest around Bhansali's film

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati was being touted as the big release of 2017. Amid a slew of controversies, the makers decided to defer the film. The postponement may have affected the team of Padmavati, but it has surely worked in favour of other smaller films. Earlier, Padmavati was scheduled to release on December 1. Smaller films had to pace out their release accordingly, considering the hype and interest around Bhansali's film. But with release date deferred many films have now moved their release dates. Kapil Sharma's Firangi was earlier slated for a November 24th release but is now reportedly being released on December 1. The film is yet to get a CBFC certification which is likely to come by today, DNA reported. If the certification comes on time then the film would be releasing this week. But makers have also been considering December 1 as a release date, as more theaters will be available for the film. A trade source told DNA, “Firangi will have two weeks’ run before Fukrey 2 releases. That will boost the film’s collections as there’s no other film to compete with. The film will get a good breathing space.” Meanwhile Fukrey 2, which was earlier to release on December 15th will now release on December 8th. The film's producer, Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed the news on Twitter on Tuesday. "Going back to our original release date of 8th December." Going back to our original release date of 8th December.#FukreyReturns8Dec @FukreyReturns @excelmovies pic.twitter.com/YyHhucUlPh — Ritesh Sidhwani (@ritesh_sid) November 21, 2017 × Interestingly, Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Monsoon Shootout has also preponed its release date to December 8th. according to a source close to the film, "The film's content is strong and the makers are certain if they get a longer period at the box office, it will help them benefit from it before another major release comes by”. Monsoon Shootout has been directed by Amit Kumar and is a story of a rookie cop and his struggle to make a choice to convict a suspect. The film premiered in 2013 at Cannes and was nominated for the Golden Camera Award. The film also stars Tanishtha Chatterjee and Neeraj Kabi in pivotal roles. The film has been produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap and has Asif Kapadia as the executive producer. While makers of Padmavati have not confirmed the new release date of the film, rumours have it that the film will be releasing in the first part of 2018. As of now, the big release that is expected to do well at the box office this year is Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai which releases on December 22.

Delay in 'Padmavati' release benefits other smaller films

<p>Film director and Panaroma Jury Head of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Rahul Rawail expressed solidarity with the makers of the upcoming movie <em>Padmavati</em>&nbsp;on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
Comparing the movie with the yesteryear classic, <em>Mughal-e-Azam</em>, which was also a variation of history, Rawail reasoned that <em>Padmavati</em>&nbsp;did not warrant protestation.&quot;Anarkali is a completely fictitious character. Anarkali does not exist in history. If today <em>Mughal-e-Azam</em> is released, will they ban it? They will not,&quot; Rawail told reporters here.<br />
<br />
&quot;Bhansali has made Padmavati with a lot of conviction and hard work. He is not going to play around with history, but as a filmmaker, he will have his own take without disturbing history,&quot; he added.<br />
<br />
Rawail said that the issue should have been tackled in a better way, adding, &quot;I admire Bhansali and Viacom for agreeing to postpone the release, because in these circumstances, it could have created a lot of violence.&quot;<br />
<br />
Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s period drama, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been mired in a slew of controversies for allegedly tampering with historical facts.On Monday, the producers voluntarily postponed its release date in the face of the absence of requisite clearances.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Film director Rahul Rawail expressed solidarity with the makers of the upcoming movie Padmavati

Film director and Panaroma Jury Head of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Rahul Rawail expressed solidarity with the makers of the upcoming movie Padmavati on Tuesday. Comparing the movie with the yesteryear classic, Mughal-e-Azam, which was also a variation of history, Rawail reasoned that Padmavati did not warrant protestation."Anarkali is a completely fictitious character. Anarkali does not exist in history. If today Mughal-e-Azam is released, will they ban it? They will not," Rawail told reporters here. "Bhansali has made Padmavati with a lot of conviction and hard work. He is not going to play around with history, but as a filmmaker, he will have his own take without disturbing history," he added. Rawail said that the issue should have been tackled in a better way, adding, "I admire Bhansali and Viacom for agreeing to postpone the release, because in these circumstances, it could have created a lot of violence." Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s period drama, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been mired in a slew of controversies for allegedly tampering with historical facts.On Monday, the producers voluntarily postponed its release date in the face of the absence of requisite clearances.

If people can accept Mughal-e-Azam, then why to oppose Padmavati release, asks Rahul Rawail

<p>Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal today demanded a ban on the screening of the controversy-ridden film <em>Padmavati</em>&nbsp;in the state.<br />
<br />
Rawal has also written a letter to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanding that the movie be shown to a committee of expert historians for scrutiny.&nbsp;&quot;I have written a letter to the chief minister demanding a ban on the movie if it distorted historical facts,&quot; the BJP leader said.<br />
<br />
He said any &quot;objectionable scenes&quot; in the movie should be deleted before its release is allowed.&nbsp;Rawal said he has written to the CBFC to cancel the &quot;certificate given to the movie&quot; and that it be shown to a committee of expert historians.<br />
<br />
&quot;Requesting the CBFC to immediately cancel the certificate given to the movie <em>Padmavati</em>. A committee comprising expert historians be allowed to watch the movie and edit the defamatory fantasies for the language, script, and scenes which undermines, devalues and insults the great valour and sacrifice of Rani Padmavati which is being worshipped by lakhs of people,&quot; the letter read.<br />
<br />
The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh is based on Rajput queen Padmavati.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji&#39;s characters, various Rajput and other groups have been protesting against the film, alleging it &quot;distorts&quot; history and hurts the sentiments of the people.<br />
<br />
Historians are, however, divided on whether Rani Padmavati even existed.&nbsp;Rawal said actor Ranveer Singh should not have played the character of Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji in the movie.</p>

<p>&quot;He (Ranveer Singh) should have thought what role is he playing,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Khalji has been projected as a hero in the movie and today&#39;s generation believe in movies, he said.<br />
<br />
&quot;Do they want them to believe that Khalji was a hero?&quot; the minister asked.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-what-state-chief-ministers-have-to-say-about-the-film-24733">Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh</a>, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh - all BJP ruled states - and Punjab, ruled by the Congress, have already opposed the release of the movie.&nbsp;</p>


Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal today demanded a ban on the screening of the controversy-ridden film Padmavati in the state

Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal today demanded a ban on the screening of the controversy-ridden film Padmavati in the state. Rawal has also written a letter to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanding that the movie be shown to a committee of expert historians for scrutiny. "I have written a letter to the chief minister demanding a ban on the movie if it distorted historical facts," the BJP leader said. He said any "objectionable scenes" in the movie should be deleted before its release is allowed. Rawal said he has written to the CBFC to cancel the "certificate given to the movie" and that it be shown to a committee of expert historians. "Requesting the CBFC to immediately cancel the certificate given to the movie Padmavati. A committee comprising expert historians be allowed to watch the movie and edit the defamatory fantasies for the language, script, and scenes which undermines, devalues and insults the great valour and sacrifice of Rani Padmavati which is being worshipped by lakhs of people," the letter read. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh is based on Rajput queen Padmavati. Amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji's characters, various Rajput and other groups have been protesting against the film, alleging it "distorts" history and hurts the sentiments of the people. Historians are, however, divided on whether Rani Padmavati even existed. Rawal said actor Ranveer Singh should not have played the character of Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji in the movie. "He (Ranveer Singh) should have thought what role is he playing," he said. Khalji has been projected as a hero in the movie and today's generation believe in movies, he said. "Do they want them to believe that Khalji was a hero?" the minister asked. Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh - all BJP ruled states - and Punjab, ruled by the Congress, have already opposed the release of the movie.

Now, Maharashtra BJP minister seeks ban on 'Padmavati'

<p>Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said Wednesday that Padmavati -- the fictional queen of Chittor -- would be taught in the state&#39;s schools.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Rashtramata Maharani Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus,&quot; Chauhan said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rashtramata Maharani <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> will be taught in schools from next syllabus. Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan <a href="https://t.co/FIcTVxyc7u">pic.twitter.com/FIcTVxyc7u</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/933339541817065473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Chouhan was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmavati-row-now-shivraj-singh-chuahan-bans-the-film-in-madhya-pradesh-24645" target="_blank">the first chief minister to ban the movie</a> in his state on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmavati-row-after-madhya-pradesh-gujarat-bans-the-film-24851" target="_blank">followed by Gujarat</a> today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also threatened to ban the movie if &quot;objectionable scenes&quot; from it are not removed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajput and Hindu groups have been vociferously protesting against the movie saying it distorts history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They have been most worried by a reported &quot;dream sequence&quot; in the movie between Deepika Padukone (who plays Padmavati) and Ranveer Singh (who plays Allaudin Khilji).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Khilji, the sultan of Delhi, had invaded and defeated the Rajput kingdom of Chittor in 1303.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Popular legend says Rani Padmavati committed &quot;jauhar&quot; (mass &quot;sati&quot;) to save her honour from Khilji.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Historians however say there is no mention of a queen Padmavati in history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that the first mention of her is found in a book of poetry -- Padmavat -- written in 1520 by the sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The historians therefore say Padmavati was not a historical figure but a literary character -- one found only in books.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


'Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions,' the Madhya Pradesh chief minister said

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said Wednesday that Padmavati -- the fictional queen of Chittor -- would be taught in the state's schools. "Rashtramata Maharani Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus," Chauhan said. "Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions," he added. Rashtramata Maharani #Padmavati will be taught in schools from next syllabus. Our children will get to know from books about her greatness and not depend on distortions: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan pic.twitter.com/FIcTVxyc7u — ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2017 × Chouhan was the first chief minister to ban the movie in his state on Tuesday. He was followed by Gujarat today. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also threatened to ban the movie if "objectionable scenes" from it are not removed. Rajput and Hindu groups have been vociferously protesting against the movie saying it distorts history. They have been most worried by a reported "dream sequence" in the movie between Deepika Padukone (who plays Padmavati) and Ranveer Singh (who plays Allaudin Khilji). Khilji, the sultan of Delhi, had invaded and defeated the Rajput kingdom of Chittor in 1303. Popular legend says Rani Padmavati committed "jauhar" (mass "sati") to save her honour from Khilji. Historians however say there is no mention of a queen Padmavati in history. And that the first mention of her is found in a book of poetry -- Padmavat -- written in 1520 by the sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. The historians therefore say Padmavati was not a historical figure but a literary character -- one found only in books.

Padmavati to be taught in MP schools, will not depend on distortions: Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-released-no-longer-under-house-arrest-in-pakistan-24840">Hafiz Saeed to be released from house arrest in Pakistan</a></p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed is to be released from house arrest in Pakistan after a &nbsp;Judicial Review Board of Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province refused Wednesday to extend his detention for another three months.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmavati-row-after-madhya-pradesh-gujarat-bans-the-film-24851">Padmavati row: After Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat bans the film</a></p>

<p>Padmavati will not be screened in Gujarat. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, on Wednesday, stated that the home department of the state had decided to ban the film to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state which is headed for an election.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-successfully-test-fires-brahmos-missile-from-sukhoi-30-fighter-jet-24828">Watch: India successfully test-fires BrahMos missile from Sukhoi-30 fighter jet</a></p>

<p>India successfully test-fired the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from the Indian Air Force&#39;s Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet for the first time today. The test-flight will significantly increase the IAF&#39;s air combat operations capability, the defence ministry said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mladic-sentenced-to-life-for-bosnia-genocide-war-crimes-24845">Ratklo</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mladic-sentenced-to-life-for-bosnia-genocide-war-crimes-24845"> Mladic, &#39;Butcher of Bosnia&#39;, sentenced to life for genocide</a></p>

<p>UN judges Wednesday sentenced former Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of genocide and war crimes in the brutal Balkans conflicts over two decades ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-slams-wrong-us-sanctions-on-north-korea-tied-chinese-firms-24838">China slams &#39;wrong&#39; US sanctions on North Korea-tied Chinese firms</a></p>

<p>China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as &quot;wrong&quot;, stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear provocations.</p>


Hafiz Saeed to be released from house arrest in Pakistan Hafiz Saeed is to be released from house arrest in Pakistan after a Judicial Review Board of Pakistan's Punjab province refused Wednesday to extend his detention for another three months. Padmavati row: After Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat bans the film Padmavati will not be screened in Gujarat. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, on Wednesday, stated that the home department of the state had decided to ban the film to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state which is headed for an election. Watch: India successfully test-fires BrahMos missile from Sukhoi-30 fighter jet India successfully test-fired the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from the Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet for the first time today. The test-flight will significantly increase the IAF's air combat operations capability, the defence ministry said. Ratklo Mladic, 'Butcher of Bosnia', sentenced to life for genocide UN judges Wednesday sentenced former Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of genocide and war crimes in the brutal Balkans conflicts over two decades ago. China slams 'wrong' US sanctions on North Korea-tied Chinese firms China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as "wrong", stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations.

WION evening news brief, November 22, 2017

<p>BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu is at it again.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Haryana BJP media coordinator had earlier announced a Rs 10-crore bounty for anybody who beheaded Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajput groups have been agitating against the release of the movie</p>

<p>On Tuesday he said&nbsp;they would run a &quot;swachhta abhiyan&quot; (cleanliness campaign) in every single cinema hall in the country. And that the Rajputs and the country&#39;s youth had the power to set every single movie screen in the country on fire.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Hindustan ke saare cinema halls mein swachhta abhiyan chalaenge, ek-ek screen ko aag lagane ki takat rakhta hai Kshatriya samaj aur iss desh ka naujawan: Suraj Pal Amu, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> <a href="https://t.co/cKmQXKzJwP">pic.twitter.com/cKmQXKzJwP</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932894083755806720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Amu had been ordered by the BJP Monday to apologise for his offer of the bounty. The party had also issued him a show-cause notice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The offer of a bounty -- of Rs 5 crore -- had originally been made by a man from Meerut called Thakur Abhishek Som.&nbsp;</p>

<p>.Amu doubled the offer to Rs 10 crore during an Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha function in New Delhi on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amu reportedly also threatened to break actor Ranveer Singh&#39;s legs if he did not take back his words of support for the film and its director.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Suraj Pal Amu, the BJP's Haryana media coordinator, had earlier announced a Rs 10-crore bounty for anybody who beheaded Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone

BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu is at it again. The Haryana BJP media coordinator had earlier announced a Rs 10-crore bounty for anybody who beheaded Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone. Rajput groups have been agitating against the release of the movie On Tuesday he said they would run a "swachhta abhiyan" (cleanliness campaign) in every single cinema hall in the country. And that the Rajputs and the country's youth had the power to set every single movie screen in the country on fire. Hindustan ke saare cinema halls mein swachhta abhiyan chalaenge, ek-ek screen ko aag lagane ki takat rakhta hai Kshatriya samaj aur iss desh ka naujawan: Suraj Pal Amu, BJP #Padmavati pic.twitter.com/cKmQXKzJwP — ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2017 × Amu had been ordered by the BJP Monday to apologise for his offer of the bounty. The party had also issued him a show-cause notice. The offer of a bounty -- of Rs 5 crore -- had originally been made by a man from Meerut called Thakur Abhishek Som. .Amu doubled the offer to Rs 10 crore during an Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha function in New Delhi on Sunday. Amu reportedly also threatened to break actor Ranveer Singh's legs if he did not take back his words of support for the film and its director.

Kshatriya community can burn every single cinema screen: Haryana leader on Padmavati

<p><em>This excerpt is taken from the upcoming book, Padmavati: The Queen tells her own story.</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>About the book Padmavati</strong></p>

<p>Mrinalini Rao, a journalist, is visiting Chittorgarh to discover the truth about the existence of Queen Padmavati of Chittor. She meets a local girl who divulges a family secret. Eventually, Mrinalini uncovers an astounding story. Princess Padmavati of Singhaldweep was famous for her beauty as well as for her wisdom and integrity. When Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittor fell in love with her and brought her to Chittorgarh, the New Queen entered an unknown world rife with political intrigue. How she used her perception and prudence to navigate her way through these dangerous paths, survived assassination bids, escaped the claws of a lustful despot and yet left a legacy for posterity is what this novel, Padmavati brings to its readers. It is a tale told in the splendid cadences of a legendary queen who was larger than life. Nevertheless, it is a complete work of fiction narrated against the backdrop of historical events that took place in the 13th century.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Excerpt 1</p>

<p>It had been raining steadily for two days. Stormy winds had twisted trees and felled massive branches. Filled with sloshing, muddy water, the deep trapezium-like shaft, spread over a thousand square yards and referred to as the Kund or sacrificial fire cavity, could not be used for the pyre. Yet, any further delay would be disastrous. The sand in the hourglass trickled down steadily and the enemy was hammering at the gates.</p>

<p>The subterranean cavern would have to do, she had said. Bullock carts loaded with bundles of hay, wood-chips and numerous pots of clarified butter began drawing up to the mouth of the dark underground tunnel. Men, whose tears mingled with the rain, carried grist and fuel for the conflagration into the centre of the wide cave.</p>

<p>The queens, along with their ladies, maids and young girls, bathed and attired themselves from head to toe in gorgeous garments, jewels and ornaments. Married women bedecked themselves in their crimson-and-gold wedding finery. Some women held baby girls in their arms who smiled beatifically, unaware of their fate.</p>

<p>After offering veneration to the deity and consuming a sacred meal that included a drink of whey and basil mildly laced with marijuana, the women began to approach the cavern. Men lined the path, hands folded, heads bowed in salutation to the satis. Husbands and brothers, fathers and sons, unmindful of the rain, were each searching for a beloved face.</p>

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<p>In the enclosed space, the air was becoming scarce as the women surrounded a rude platform erected amidst mountains of hay and wood, liberally doused in clarified butter. The temple priests, having completed the rituals, stood by, chanting verses from the Vedas. Everyone waited for the senior queen to lead, but she seemed to falter. The New Queen gently slipped past her and ascended the platform.</p>

<p>She sat down in the centre and folded her palms. Instead of closing her eyes, she looked ahead calmly. The other royal ladies clambered up to sit in a semicircle around her. Some had to be helped up by their maids; because they were infirm or they were trembling with terror. The girls, maids, noblewomen and their female attendants stood behind the seated ladies, facing the priests. The baby girls in their arms looked around curiously as if this was a new game.</p>

<p>The chief priest held up a flaming torch. Calling out, &lsquo;Jai! Ek Linghji Ki Jai!&rsquo; he lit the pyre.</p>

<p>Whoosh!! The hay, wood and butter sprang into a wavering pillar of fire. The priests ran pell-mell to the cave opening to escape the brute firestorm. The flames spread quickly, encircling the platform, sucking out whatever little air there was in the cave. The women clutched at their throats, desperate mouths agape.</p>

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<h5>Shrill screams echoing down the tunnel were abruptly choked off. Some mothers smothered their children to save them from the agony of burning.</h5>
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<p>Shrill screams echoing down the tunnel were abruptly choked off. Some mothers smothered their children to save them from the agony of burning. A few girl infants escaped the laps of mothers who were already alight. Tiny limbs spewing flames, they ran around, shrieking at their unexpected torment.</p>

<p>Other women clutching babies, young girls and maidens attempted to jump off the burning platform.Though they had voluntarily embraced the idea of grace through fire, their instinct for survival rejected the terrible death facing them. But their leaps for freedom landed them right into fiery, blazing, scarlet hands that enveloped them lovingly. Burning bodies rolled on the rocky floor, already dead. Orange and blue tongues licked greedily at human skin, making the royal ladies screech uncontrollably.&nbsp;Some jumped up, beating their burning garments with bare hands in vain.</p>

<p>Flames whirled around them until each became a separate bonfire reaching out to ignite more panicked women. All of it turned into an inferno of figures gyrating in agony. The roar of combustion growled within the cave, punctured by the hiss of sizzling skin and the sharp cracking of bones. A nauseous smell of burnt hair rose with clouds of thick grey smoke.</p>

<p>Once the pyre was burning merrily, the conflagration began to seek more air. Bellowing like an animal, the fire squeezed left and right through the narrow tunnel towards openings on both sides. The weeping men, still gathered just outside, were swept back as flames burst out of the tunnel.</p>

<p>In the centre of all the chaos, only one figure remained serene and motionless. As the gold, saffron and blue blaze made rings around her, rising higher and higher, slowly enclosing the New Queen, she was like a sculpture, absolutely still. Nothing seemed to touch her; not the torment, not the grief, not the fear. It defied all principles of logic.</p>

<p>Where did a girl find such strength, not garnered even by the meditation of ascetics, to tolerate the torture of being burnt alive? Her dark silhouette, in lotus pose, palms folded, was a sublime sight. When the great white heat reached the core, her body exploded in a shower of sparks. The tremendous blast ricocheted against the red, hot rocky walls sending horrific echoes floating out to the listeners.</p>

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<h5>For centuries to come, the supreme sacrifice of this legendary Queen of Chittor would attain a place of undying pride and honour in the hearts of all her country&rsquo;s people.</h5>
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<p>The jauhar took hardly a few minutes to extinguish Padmavati&rsquo;s living mortality but gifted her with indelible immortality; a significant niche in the history of India. Time could not dim her charisma nor age wither her stunning beauty. For centuries to come, the supreme sacrifice of this legendary Queen of Chittor would attain a place of undying pride and honour in the hearts of all her country&rsquo;s people.</p>

<p>Excerpt 2</p>

<p>Padmavati had hurried in her bathing because she wanted to be out of the place before Prabhavati&rsquo;s group completed their bath. As she came out of the Kund, she had noticed the huge basket of flowers guarded by two eunuchs on the top of the steps and idly wondered what it was for. If it is for the evening prayers, it should be at the temple and not here, she had thought, climbing the wet stairs.</p>

<p>The princess was about to put her foot down on the second step from the top, when she had happened to look down. She had given a loud gasp and instantly withdrawn her foot. Ambika who had been just behind her peered downwards and screamed. &lsquo;Snake! Snake!&rsquo; A thin, black reptile had been coiling and uncoiling on the wide stone step. It was a venomous krait. One bite from it was fatal and Padmavati had been about to step on it!</p>

<p>Ambika&rsquo;s screams had brought Koki running. With a stout stick, he had given a hard blow to the snake&rsquo;s shiny black head that splattered into a mush of flesh and blood. The princess, who had recovered by then, quickly skirted the dead reptile and climbed the last step. She was now safely on the platform. Her ladies had surrounded her and all of them walked up the slope to the temple.</p>

<p>They had spoken among themselves agitatedly; how had the reptile had slithered to this area, which was completely paved. There were no trees or snake holes nearby.</p>

<p>&lsquo;Almost as if somebody had brought the snake here,&rsquo; Ambika had remarked loudly. Her voice carried down the steps. Prabhavati&rsquo;s ladies had also risen from the Kund and were chattering excitedly about the incident. A deathly silence had fallen on everyone at Ambika&rsquo;s words. In one accord, as if the same idea had struck each one at the same time, all eyes had gone to the large basket of flowers.</p>

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<h5>Somebody had wanted to hurt Padmavati and hurt her seriously, even fatally. Who could be so malicious but her rival, Rani Prabhavati?</h5>
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<p>Had the snake been concealed in the basket? And brought here on purpose? If so, what was the purpose? The answer had been as clear as crystal. Somebody had wanted to hurt Padmavati and hurt her seriously, even fatally. Who could be so malicious but her rival, Rani Prabhavati?</p>

<p>Suddenly, the senior Rani had felt the heat of many pairs of speculative eyes on her. Instantly, she began climbing energetically towards the platform seeking escape through the passage, ordering her entourage to follow her. Padmavati had stared at her retreating back; quite sure that she was the culprit.</p>

<p>Yet, when Ambika had beseeched her to tell Ratan Singh about the incident, she refused, explaining, &lsquo;I have come here to be accepted as part of the Rawal&rsquo;s family, Ambika. Prabhavati didi is my senior. How can I complain about her, or even worse, accuse her?&rsquo;</p>

<p>Ambika had not been convinced. &lsquo;It is a matter of your safety. She tried to kill you.&rsquo;</p>

<p>&lsquo;No, my dear friend. We don&rsquo;t know for sure how the krait got there. We have no proof that Didi was responsible. Our suspicions may be wrong. And by complaining what will I get? I will only make the Rawal angry and alienate Prabhavati didi even more.&rsquo;</p>

<p>&lsquo;But she may make another attempt.&rsquo; Ambika&rsquo;s voice had cracked with fear.</p>

<p>&lsquo;No, Ambika. What have we learned in our land? If you give love and forgiveness, it will be returned double fold. Don&rsquo;t be afraid, my friend,&rsquo; Padmavati had said gently.</p>

<p>&lsquo;But these are not Singhas, Padmavati,&rsquo;Ambika had cried. &lsquo;You cannot trust them. Everyone has told me how spiteful Rani Prabhavati is.&rsquo;</p>

<p>But the princess would not be swayed.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Disclaimer:&nbsp;<i>The author writes here in a personal capacity.&nbsp;</i></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The jauhar took hardly a few minutes to extinguish Padmavati?s living mortality but gifted her with indelible immortality; a significant niche in the history of India

This excerpt is taken from the upcoming book, Padmavati: The Queen tells her own story. About the book Padmavati Mrinalini Rao, a journalist, is visiting Chittorgarh to discover the truth about the existence of Queen Padmavati of Chittor. She meets a local girl who divulges a family secret. Eventually, Mrinalini uncovers an astounding story. Princess Padmavati of Singhaldweep was famous for her beauty as well as for her wisdom and integrity. When Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittor fell in love with her and brought her to Chittorgarh, the New Queen entered an unknown world rife with political intrigue. How she used her perception and prudence to navigate her way through these dangerous paths, survived assassination bids, escaped the claws of a lustful despot and yet left a legacy for posterity is what this novel, Padmavati brings to its readers. It is a tale told in the splendid cadences of a legendary queen who was larger than life. Nevertheless, it is a complete work of fiction narrated against the backdrop of historical events that took place in the 13th century. Excerpt 1 It had been raining steadily for two days. Stormy winds had twisted trees and felled massive branches. Filled with sloshing, muddy water, the deep trapezium-like shaft, spread over a thousand square yards and referred to as the Kund or sacrificial fire cavity, could not be used for the pyre. Yet, any further delay would be disastrous. The sand in the hourglass trickled down steadily and the enemy was hammering at the gates. The subterranean cavern would have to do, she had said. Bullock carts loaded with bundles of hay, wood-chips and numerous pots of clarified butter began drawing up to the mouth of the dark underground tunnel. Men, whose tears mingled with the rain, carried grist and fuel for the conflagration into the centre of the wide cave. The queens, along with their ladies, maids and young girls, bathed and attired themselves from head to toe in gorgeous garments, jewels and ornaments. Married women bedecked themselves in their crimson-and-gold wedding finery. Some women held baby girls in their arms who smiled beatifically, unaware of their fate. After offering veneration to the deity and consuming a sacred meal that included a drink of whey and basil mildly laced with marijuana, the women began to approach the cavern. Men lined the path, hands folded, heads bowed in salutation to the satis. Husbands and brothers, fathers and sons, unmindful of the rain, were each searching for a beloved face. In the enclosed space, the air was becoming scarce as the women surrounded a rude platform erected amidst mountains of hay and wood, liberally doused in clarified butter. × In the enclosed space, the air was becoming scarce as the women surrounded a rude platform erected amidst mountains of hay and wood, liberally doused in clarified butter. The temple priests, having completed the rituals, stood by, chanting verses from the Vedas. Everyone waited for the senior queen to lead, but she seemed to falter. The New Queen gently slipped past her and ascended the platform. She sat down in the centre and folded her palms. Instead of closing her eyes, she looked ahead calmly. The other royal ladies clambered up to sit in a semicircle around her. Some had to be helped up by their maids; because they were infirm or they were trembling with terror. The girls, maids, noblewomen and their female attendants stood behind the seated ladies, facing the priests. The baby girls in their arms looked around curiously as if this was a new game. The chief priest held up a flaming torch. Calling out, ‘Jai! Ek Linghji Ki Jai!’ he lit the pyre. Whoosh!! The hay, wood and butter sprang into a wavering pillar of fire. The priests ran pell-mell to the cave opening to escape the brute firestorm. The flames spread quickly, encircling the platform, sucking out whatever little air there was in the cave. The women clutched at their throats, desperate mouths agape. Shrill screams echoing down the tunnel were abruptly choked off. Some mothers smothered their children to save them from the agony of burning. × Shrill screams echoing down the tunnel were abruptly choked off. Some mothers smothered their children to save them from the agony of burning. A few girl infants escaped the laps of mothers who were already alight. Tiny limbs spewing flames, they ran around, shrieking at their unexpected torment. Other women clutching babies, young girls and maidens attempted to jump off the burning platform.Though they had voluntarily embraced the idea of grace through fire, their instinct for survival rejected the terrible death facing them. But their leaps for freedom landed them right into fiery, blazing, scarlet hands that enveloped them lovingly. Burning bodies rolled on the rocky floor, already dead. Orange and blue tongues licked greedily at human skin, making the royal ladies screech uncontrollably. Some jumped up, beating their burning garments with bare hands in vain. Flames whirled around them until each became a separate bonfire reaching out to ignite more panicked women. All of it turned into an inferno of figures gyrating in agony. The roar of combustion growled within the cave, punctured by the hiss of sizzling skin and the sharp cracking of bones. A nauseous smell of burnt hair rose with clouds of thick grey smoke. Once the pyre was burning merrily, the conflagration began to seek more air. Bellowing like an animal, the fire squeezed left and right through the narrow tunnel towards openings on both sides. The weeping men, still gathered just outside, were swept back as flames burst out of the tunnel. In the centre of all the chaos, only one figure remained serene and motionless. As the gold, saffron and blue blaze made rings around her, rising higher and higher, slowly enclosing the New Queen, she was like a sculpture, absolutely still. Nothing seemed to touch her; not the torment, not the grief, not the fear. It defied all principles of logic. Where did a girl find such strength, not garnered even by the meditation of ascetics, to tolerate the torture of being burnt alive? Her dark silhouette, in lotus pose, palms folded, was a sublime sight. When the great white heat reached the core, her body exploded in a shower of sparks. The tremendous blast ricocheted against the red, hot rocky walls sending horrific echoes floating out to the listeners. For centuries to come, the supreme sacrifice of this legendary Queen of Chittor would attain a place of undying pride and honour in the hearts of all her country’s people. × The jauhar took hardly a few minutes to extinguish Padmavati’s living mortality but gifted her with indelible immortality; a significant niche in the history of India. Time could not dim her charisma nor age wither her stunning beauty. For centuries to come, the supreme sacrifice of this legendary Queen of Chittor would attain a place of undying pride and honour in the hearts of all her country’s people. Excerpt 2 Padmavati had hurried in her bathing because she wanted to be out of the place before Prabhavati’s group completed their bath. As she came out of the Kund, she had noticed the huge basket of flowers guarded by two eunuchs on the top of the steps and idly wondered what it was for. If it is for the evening prayers, it should be at the temple and not here, she had thought, climbing the wet stairs. The princess was about to put her foot down on the second step from the top, when she had happened to look down. She had given a loud gasp and instantly withdrawn her foot. Ambika who had been just behind her peered downwards and screamed. ‘Snake! Snake!’ A thin, black reptile had been coiling and uncoiling on the wide stone step. It was a venomous krait. One bite from it was fatal and Padmavati had been about to step on it! Ambika’s screams had brought Koki running. With a stout stick, he had given a hard blow to the snake’s shiny black head that splattered into a mush of flesh and blood. The princess, who had recovered by then, quickly skirted the dead reptile and climbed the last step. She was now safely on the platform. Her ladies had surrounded her and all of them walked up the slope to the temple. They had spoken among themselves agitatedly; how had the reptile had slithered to this area, which was completely paved. There were no trees or snake holes nearby. ‘Almost as if somebody had brought the snake here,’ Ambika had remarked loudly. Her voice carried down the steps. Prabhavati’s ladies had also risen from the Kund and were chattering excitedly about the incident. A deathly silence had fallen on everyone at Ambika’s words. In one accord, as if the same idea had struck each one at the same time, all eyes had gone to the large basket of flowers. Somebody had wanted to hurt Padmavati and hurt her seriously, even fatally. Who could be so malicious but her rival, Rani Prabhavati? × Had the snake been concealed in the basket? And brought here on purpose? If so, what was the purpose? The answer had been as clear as crystal. Somebody had wanted to hurt Padmavati and hurt her seriously, even fatally. Who could be so malicious but her rival, Rani Prabhavati? Suddenly, the senior Rani had felt the heat of many pairs of speculative eyes on her. Instantly, she began climbing energetically towards the platform seeking escape through the passage, ordering her entourage to follow her. Padmavati had stared at her retreating back; quite sure that she was the culprit. Yet, when Ambika had beseeched her to tell Ratan Singh about the incident, she refused, explaining, ‘I have come here to be accepted as part of the Rawal’s family, Ambika. Prabhavati didi is my senior. How can I complain about her, or even worse, accuse her?’ Ambika had not been convinced. ‘It is a matter of your safety. She tried to kill you.’ ‘No, my dear friend. We don’t know for sure how the krait got there. We have no proof that Didi was responsible. Our suspicions may be wrong. And by complaining what will I get? I will only make the Rawal angry and alienate Prabhavati didi even more.’ ‘But she may make another attempt.’ Ambika’s voice had cracked with fear. ‘No, Ambika. What have we learned in our land? If you give love and forgiveness, it will be returned double fold. Don’t be afraid, my friend,’ Padmavati had said gently. ‘But these are not Singhas, Padmavati,’Ambika had cried. ‘You cannot trust them. Everyone has told me how spiteful Rani Prabhavati is.’ But the princess would not be swayed. Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity.

Opinion: Searching for Padmavati's voice

<p>Sanjay Leela Bhansali perhaps could have never imagined that his magnum opus Padmavati would divide an entire country with contrasting opinions. &nbsp;Right from the time the filming of Padmavati began, there have been agitations around the film. In January Rajput Karni Sena, stormed the sets of the film, thrashed the director and vandalised the sets.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
While assurance from Bhansali productions came soon after that the film did not distort history or disrespect Rajput history in any manner, opposition against the film continued to grow.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Things took an ugly turn when the film&#39;s trailer released in October as protestors gained steam. While earlier the group had objected to an alleged dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji - which the makers assured did not exist- later the protestors claimed that the film distorted history.<br />
<br />
The protests in the past few weeks have gained momentum after various state governments also raised objection towards the film. While the release of the film has been deferred- it was earlier scheduled to release on December 1- many of the states have declared a ban on the film&#39;s screening.<br />
<br />
Here is a quick look at which of the states have opposed to&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests began in <strong>Rajasthan</strong> back in January when Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the film&#39;s set. Later in September, Karni Sena&#39;s Lokendra Singh Kalvi reiterates that his organisation will oppose the film&#39;s screening if facts are &quot;distorted&quot;. Earlier in November, protest by the Karni Sena against the film picked up the pace in Rajasthan with a complete bandh observed in Chittorgarh. Now, the state CM Vasundhara Raje has stated that the film will not be released in the state until changes in the film are made.The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large.<br />
Members of BJP wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a ban on the release of the film in Gujarat in the wake of the assembly elections in the state. Expressing concern about distortion of history in the movie, the BJP leaders stated that CBFC should only release the film after the &#39;objectionable&#39; scenes are removed.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In Noida,<strong> Uttar Pradesh</strong>, members of the Karni Sena had vandalised a cinema hall for screening the trailer of the film earlier this month. The UP Home Minister had even written a letter to the Censor board to consider the sentiments of the people before certifying the film. They feared if the film released it would affect the peace and harmony in the state. Now CM Yogi Adityanath has stated that the film will be not be screened in the state if the desired cuts are not made. &quot;Sentiments of the people of the state should not be hurt,&quot; reiterated Yogi.<br />
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<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his government&#39;s view on the Padmawati row has already been conveyed to India&#39;s information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani. (ANI)</p>
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<p>In <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong>, the state CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared a ban on the film and stated that the decision was taken after he received requests from various Rajput groups appealing for a ban on the film&#39;s release.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have also expressed concern over the film&#39;s content. <strong>Punjab</strong> Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said, &quot;Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, National Conference leader Devender Singh Rana has also written to<strong> Jammu and Kashmir </strong>Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her not to allow the release of the film until its contents have been verified.</p>

<p>In Coimbatore, <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong>, members of the Karni Sena staged a protest a few days back demanding a ban on the film&#39;s release in the state as they alleged the film distorted history.</p>

<p>Rajput communities in <strong>Bihar </strong>too have protested against the film.&nbsp; News of protest from Patna, Bhagalpur and Supaul have been reported.&nbsp;Bihar minister Jay Kumar Singh and BJP MLA Gayanu Singh, both from Rajput community, have extended their support&nbsp; to the protestors.</p>

<p>While most state CMS have opposed the film&#39;s release, <strong>West Bengal</strong> chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended her support to Padmavati. On Monday, Banerjee took to Twitter to show her support for the film. Calling the controversy &#39;unfortunate&#39;, Banerjee stated that the film industry must come together and fight as one.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice</p>
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/932496407730126848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Echoing Ms. Banerjee&#39;s sentiments, the <strong>Karnataka </strong>government on Tuesday declared its support to the film. The film&#39;s leading lady Deepika Padukone belongs to the state and the government has stepped up security for Padukone&#39;s parents who reside in Bangalore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against those threatening Padukone for her role in the film.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I condemn the culture of intolerance and hate perpetuated by the BJP,&rdquo; Siddaramaiah tweeted. &ldquo;Karnataka stands with Deepika Padukone. She is a globally-renowned artist from our state.&rdquo;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I condemn the culture of intolerance &amp; hate perpetuated by <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> .<br />
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Karnataka stands with <a href="https://twitter.com/deepikapadukone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deepikapadukone</a> .She is a globally renowned artist from our state.<br />
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I call upon the CM of Haryana <a href="https://twitter.com/mlkhattar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mlkhattar</a> to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. <a href="https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ">https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ</a></p>
&mdash; Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah/status/932504161005928448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have asked for a ban on the release while Karnataka and West Bengal have extended support

Sanjay Leela Bhansali perhaps could have never imagined that his magnum opus Padmavati would divide an entire country with contrasting opinions. Right from the time the filming of Padmavati began, there have been agitations around the film. In January Rajput Karni Sena, stormed the sets of the film, thrashed the director and vandalised the sets. While assurance from Bhansali productions came soon after that the film did not distort history or disrespect Rajput history in any manner, opposition against the film continued to grow. Things took an ugly turn when the film's trailer released in October as protestors gained steam. While earlier the group had objected to an alleged dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji - which the makers assured did not exist- later the protestors claimed that the film distorted history. The protests in the past few weeks have gained momentum after various state governments also raised objection towards the film. While the release of the film has been deferred- it was earlier scheduled to release on December 1- many of the states have declared a ban on the film's screening. Here is a quick look at which of the states have opposed to The protests began in Rajasthan back in January when Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the film's set. Later in September, Karni Sena's Lokendra Singh Kalvi reiterates that his organisation will oppose the film's screening if facts are "distorted". Earlier in November, protest by the Karni Sena against the film picked up the pace in Rajasthan with a complete bandh observed in Chittorgarh. Now, the state CM Vasundhara Raje has stated that the film will not be released in the state until changes in the film are made.The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large. Members of BJP wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a ban on the release of the film in Gujarat in the wake of the assembly elections in the state. Expressing concern about distortion of history in the movie, the BJP leaders stated that CBFC should only release the film after the 'objectionable' scenes are removed. In Noida, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Karni Sena had vandalised a cinema hall for screening the trailer of the film earlier this month. The UP Home Minister had even written a letter to the Censor board to consider the sentiments of the people before certifying the film. They feared if the film released it would affect the peace and harmony in the state. Now CM Yogi Adityanath has stated that the film will be not be screened in the state if the desired cuts are not made. "Sentiments of the people of the state should not be hurt," reiterated Yogi. Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his government's view on the Padmawati row has already been conveyed to India's information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani. (ANI) × In Madhya Pradesh, the state CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared a ban on the film and stated that the decision was taken after he received requests from various Rajput groups appealing for a ban on the film's release. Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have also expressed concern over the film's content. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said, "Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so." Meanwhile, National Conference leader Devender Singh Rana has also written to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her not to allow the release of the film until its contents have been verified. In Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, members of the Karni Sena staged a protest a few days back demanding a ban on the film's release in the state as they alleged the film distorted history. Rajput communities in Bihar too have protested against the film. News of protest from Patna, Bhagalpur and Supaul have been reported. Bihar minister Jay Kumar Singh and BJP MLA Gayanu Singh, both from Rajput community, have extended their support to the protestors. While most state CMS have opposed the film's release, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended her support to Padmavati. On Monday, Banerjee took to Twitter to show her support for the film. Calling the controversy 'unfortunate', Banerjee stated that the film industry must come together and fight as one. The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017 × Echoing Ms. Banerjee's sentiments, the Karnataka government on Tuesday declared its support to the film. The film's leading lady Deepika Padukone belongs to the state and the government has stepped up security for Padukone's parents who reside in Bangalore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against those threatening Padukone for her role in the film. “I condemn the culture of intolerance and hate perpetuated by the BJP,” Siddaramaiah tweeted. “Karnataka stands with Deepika Padukone. She is a globally-renowned artist from our state.” I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India . Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone .She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 20, 2017 ×

Padmavati: Various chief ministers speak for and against release

<p>A man from Gurugram on Tuesday filed an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu for his comments on actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the&nbsp;film &#39;Padmavati&#39;.</p>

<p>Earlier on Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had written to the Haryana DGP seeking action against state BJP chief media coordinator Amu.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-condemns-member-who-offered-reward-for-padmavati-actress-deepika-padukones-head-24684">Amu had allegedly made derogatory remarks against &#39;Padmavati&#39; filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh and had announced a reward of Rs&nbsp;10 crores for &quot;beheading&quot;&nbsp;the actress.</a></p>

<p>The NCW requested the DGP to look into the matter immediately and take appropriate action in accordance with the law.</p>

<p>It also asked the DGP&nbsp;to apprise the commission of appropriate action taken at the earliest.</p>

<p>The movie, starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing protests from various groups, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajput-karni-sena-president-wont-let-padmavati-release-calls-for-bharat-bandh-on-dec-1-24505">including Shri Rajput Karni Sena(SRKS), for allegedly tampering with historical facts.</a></p>


A man from Gurugram on Tuesday filed an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu for his comments on actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali over film 'Padmavati'

A man from Gurugram on Tuesday filed an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu for his comments on actress Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film 'Padmavati'. Earlier on Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had written to the Haryana DGP seeking action against state BJP chief media coordinator Amu. Amu had allegedly made derogatory remarks against 'Padmavati' filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh and had announced a reward of Rs 10 crores for "beheading" the actress. The NCW requested the DGP to look into the matter immediately and take appropriate action in accordance with the law. It also asked the DGP to apprise the commission of appropriate action taken at the earliest. The movie, starring actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing protests from various groups, including Shri Rajput Karni Sena(SRKS), for allegedly tampering with historical facts.

Padmavati row: Man files FIR against Suraj Pal Amu

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