MP BANS PADMAVATI, APEX COURT WON’T STAY RELEASE

BHOPAL/NEW DELHI: In another blow to makers of ‘Padmavati’, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that a film that “distorts history” and was “against the respect of the country’s mother Padmavatiji” would not be allowed to be screened in the state.

Entire country is saying historical facts have been distorted... film in which such scenes have been shown will not be screened on the soil of Madhya Pradesh SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN, MP chief minister

NEW DELHI/BHOPAL/CHANDIGARH: Madhya Pradesh banned Bollywood film Padmavati on Monday but the Supreme Court refused to stay its release amid mounting protests against the ₹150-crore movie mired in controversy over the depiction of a legendary Hindu queen.

The top court said the film was yet to get the censor board’s clearance. According to a threejudge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, the court can’t stop a statutory body, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), from carrying out its duty.

The CBFC returned the film to the producers, saying the application form was “incomplete”.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told delegations of the Rajput community, which is protesting the film’s depiction of Rani Padmini, or Padmavati, that his government won’t tolerate any “wrong portrayal of a character worshipped by the nation”.

Rajasthan will not allow the movie to be screened in the state without “necessary changes” suggested by chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

She wrote on Saturday to Union I&B minister Smriti Irani for the changes to respect the sentiments of Rajputs.

The UP government has also called for cuts to remove objectionable sections from the movie, which was due to open on December 1 but its producers postponed the release amid violent protests and death threats.

As the protests mounted, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali after a Rajput delegation sought his intervention. The party said the filmmaker should edit out offending portions.

The protesters found a supporter in Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who became the first Congress leader speak out against the film.

“Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so,” ANI quoted him as saying.

The film has been embroiled in controversy since its shooting began in January, with fringe outfits alleging it distorts history. Bhansali was attacked on set in January by a Rajput organisation.

Security was increased for Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone, who plays the legendary figure, after several offers of bounty — including from a BJP leader from Haryana — for beheading them.

The BJP asked its leader Suraj Pal Amu to apologise publicly and explain why he offered a ₹10-crore reward to behead both Padukone and Bhansali. to