Film/stage
DIRECTOR Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest epic historical drama, Padmavati, was embroiled in controversy for most of last year, leading to the postponement of its scheduled December 1 release.
Finally cleared by the Indian censor board, it is set to open internationally and in India on January 25 as Padmavat.
No stranger to controversy, many of his earlier films raised the ire of political parties, their followers bent on banning his works and attacking him and the films’ artists. This time Bhansali angered certain communities with their understanding of a dream sequence depicting the Hindu Queen Padmavati’s romantic relationship with a Muslim ruler, Sultan Alauddin Khilji, while she is married to the Rajput ruler, Maharawal Ratan Singh.
The film is based on characters in a poem written by 16th century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. It has been claimed that the story distorts and misrepresents historical facts.
Members of the Karni Sena attacked and slapped Bhansali on location and film sets were vandalised and burnt down to stop filming. Death threats were made by members of political parties against Bhansali and his actors.
A leader of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party asked for members to bring him the heads of Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, who plays Padmavati.
Another party leader offered to reward those who would set fire to Padukone, and yet another offered a bounty to have her nose cut off.
The film’s distributors, Viacom 18, agreed to postpone the initial release pending a review by the censor board, with input from historians on the scenes which allegedly caused concern to various communities.
Leaders of six states in India had indicated that the film would be banned in their territories. Some, like those in Goa, reasoned that the release would incite those opposed to it, resulting in protests and riots, which the state could not afford at a time when many foreign tourists would be visiting the area.
The passing of the film uncut in the UK and rumours that Bhansali would release it there before it