Distributors wary of releasing ‘Padmavati’ in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Nov 7 (IANS) Film distributors in Rajasthan are wary of releasing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati", scheduled to hit the screens on December 1.

"I can talk about my company... We will not like to buy the distribution rights of the film till the controversy is resolved," Raj Bansal, a leading film distributor here, told IANS.

Echoing similar views, another distributor on condition of anonymity, said: "No one would like to be part of controversy... So I would not like to buy the distribution rights."

The Sri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community and the Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha, a Brahmin community organisation, have decided to oppose the release of the film. According to them, historical facts have been distorted in the film.

"They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable," an activist of Sri Rajput Karni Sena said.

There are around 300 screens in Rajasthan and it will be a loss of around Rs 5 crore if the film is not released in the state, sources said.

"We are demanding that Bhansali's team should screen the movie for historians and intellectuals before releasing it as was promised by them a few months back. We are apprehensive that historical facts have been distorted in the movie," Vishavbandhu Rathore, Pradesh Mahasachiv, Sri Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS.

In January, activists of Sri Rajput Karni Sena had protested, manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of "Padmavati", claiming Bhansali was distorting historical facts in the movie.

The movie sets out to tell the tale of Rani Padmavati - the legendary Mewar queen known as much for her beauty and intelligence as she was for her courage, her husband Maharawal Ratan Singh - a glorious Rajput ruler and a warrior king who fought till his dying breath to defend his kingdom and his wife's honour and Sultan Alauddin Khilji - an ambitious and obsessive invader.

The Sri Rajput Karni Sena, along with other organisations, had called for a Chittorgarh bandh on November 3. Along with like-minded organisations, the Karni Sena plans to organise a big rally in Gandhinagar in Gujarat on November 12 against the movie.