Karni Sena calls for curfew at cinema halls to stop Padmaavat release

Kalvi said that he respected the SC’s verdict and hoped that it had taken views of all parties into consideration before reaching it’s decision.

“But the court of public opinion is the biggest court in the country and we have been knocking on it’s doors for the past six months,” he said at a press conference in Mumbai on Friday.

“Sanjay Leela Bhansali makes films that divide communities. He profits from our emotions and anger,” he claimed.

The film, initially titled Padmavati, was slated to release on December 1 last year but was put off due to protests and threats of violence against Bhansali and the cast, headlined by Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh. It was granted certification and cleared for release by the Central Board of Film Certification on January 25.

“25 January will come and go but the film will not release,” he declared.

Asked whether his appeal to people to lay siege to theatres would lead to violence, Kalvi added, “How many people will you kill to ensure that the film is screened? But the film needs to be killed. That will only happen if the owners of cinema halls co-operate,” he claimed.