EXPENSIVE LESSON FOR MOVIE DISTRIBUTOR
Banned Bollywood film, said to have touched on the sensitivities of local Muslims, is screened in Pakistan and the Middle East. has the story
THE recent banning of the Bollywood film Padmaavat is an expensive lesson for local distributor Antenna Entertainment.
While its managing director, Liza Anand, has accepted the decision by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF) on the ban, and will toe the line, there is this tinge of frustration in her voice.
“I feel very unhappy and dissatisfied with the views and conclusion that led to the ban,” she admitted to the New Straits Times yesterday.
According to Liza, Antenna Entertainment had spent around US$30,000 (RM116,922) to market the film, in addition to a much larger amount that she did not want to disclose to secure the rights to distribute the film in Malaysia.
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film stars Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmavati, whose beauty so beguiles the Sultan Alauddin Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh) that he ends up warring against the queen’s royal husband to win her over.
It was reported recently that the movie’s negative portrayal of a Muslim ruler was the main cause of the ban.
“What makes it more frustrating for me is that the film’s producers have told me that Padmaavat had been screened in Pakistan as well as other countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The other Muslim countries didn’t see anything wrong with the film,” she said.
Padmaavat was initially set to premiere here on Jan 25 in more than 90 cinemas but was faced with a ban.
Antenna Entertainment’s appeal was rejected by the LPF on Jan 29.
“The gist of the film is a love story and it’s creatively made and beautifully shot,” said Liza, who added that the film should be screened for the public to decide for themselves.
“Perhaps an 18 rating can be issued for the film. We’re also very agreeable if the authorities want to censor or cut out certain scenes, by all means,” she said.
“Right now, we’re still in the midst of planning our next step. We have the intention to appeal again.”