Journalism of Courage
It seems Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati has become the latest controversy's child. The film was slated to release on December 1 but now it has been postponed voluntarily by the makers. This Deepika Padukone starrer has received a number of threats from political and religious organisations as they believe the film's content is objectionable and misrepresents India's history. The recent one being BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu announcing a prize money of Rs 10 crore for whosoever beheads Deepika and director SLB. Here's a timeline of the controversies and protests Padmavati has witnessed so far.
In January 2017, the sets of the movie at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur were destroyed by the members of Karni Sena who staged an angry protest against the director. In fact, the mob attacked Sanjay Leela Bhansali as videos went viral of him being slapped by the protestors.
In March 2017, once again the sets of Padmavati were vandalised in Kolhapur’s Masai plateau during the night and were set on fire. This happened solely because of the misconception that the director was shooting for a dream sequence between Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) and Rani Padmini (Deepika) there. The director rejected claims of the film having any such sequence but unfortunately, the rumours and the anger kept rising.
In September 2017, Deepika Padukone's first look poster was released. Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, burnt posters of the movie in Jaipur and shouted slogans against Bhansali.
According to the reports, the Jai Rajputana Sangh said that they won't tolerate any distortion of facts and if there will be any romantic relationship between Rani Padmini and Allaudin Khilji, they will burn the cinema halls.
In October 2017, the movie got embroiled in another controversy when goons destroyed Surat artist Karan K’s rangoli which featured Deepika Padukone in her Padmavati character, which took him 48 hours to make.
After the protest and demand by Rajput Karni Sena to watch Padmavati before its actual release, BJP decided to write to the Election Commission, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Central government to temporarily hold its release for allegedly 'hurting the sentiments of the Kshatriya community'.
Protests intensified in Rajasthan with several organisations stating their objection to the film questioning Rani Padmini’s portrayal, and the distributors were keen on getting away from the project.
Shri Rajput Sabha, the Rajput body wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi and asked for a countrywide ban on the film. They also filed an FIR against Bhansali calling him a "habitual offender".
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that the state government wants a ban on Padmavati and they will approach the CBFC to seek the same.
Maharajkumar Vishvaraj Singh, from Mewar's royal family, wrote a letter to Minister of Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani and Censor Board chairperson Prasoon Joshi to withhold the certification of the film.
Protesters in Gandhinagar, Surat and Karnataka demanded that the CBFC must not clear the film as it hurts the sentiments of the people.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam, who also heads Film Studio Setting and Allied Majdoor Union, said that they would not let the director shoot any film in future if he does not delete "objectionable" scenes from the film.
Padmavati protesters block tourist entry to Chhittorgarh Fort.
A man called Thakur Abhishek Som from Meerut reportedly offered Rs 5 crore bounty for beheading Bhansali a few days ago.
Later, a senior BJP leader from Haryana offered a prize of Rs 10 crore to anyone who would behead Bhansali and Deepika.
Central Board of Film Certification turns down application by the makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati seeking to expedite certification process of the movie.
