House panel wants censor chief, Bhansali to attend Nov 30 meet
NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary panel has asked the information and broadcasting ministry to invite film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the chief of the central board of film certification (CBFC), Prasoon Joshi, to appear before it on November 30.
The Standing Committee on Information Technology that will meet to discuss issues related to films, has decided to invite Bhansali after his film Padmavati based on a legendary princess set off protests from violent Rajputs over what they allege is distortion of history.
Several BJP leaders and a group, Karni Sena, have been demanding a ban on the release of the film starring Deepika Padukone in the role of Padmavati.
Sources told Hindustan Times that the committee is not mandated to summon Bhansali to depose before it and so it has asked the ministry to invite the filmmaker to the meeting. It has asked for Joshi and the secretary of the ministry to be present at the meeting.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions also sought a report from the ministry on the issue, after two BJP MPS, Om Birla and CP Joshi, filed a plea seeking a ban on the movie, for alleged “objectionable” content. The Petitions committee, too, will meet on November 30.
The CBFC is yet to certify the film and the filmmakers’ decision to screen Padmavati for a select group of media persons before it was viewed by the censor board has also stoked a controversy.
A few Bjp-ruled states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have announced that they would not allow the film’s release.