If our community is satisfied after watching Padmavati, we’ll give full support to it: Rajput leader

Padmavati is set to release on December 1.

Padmavati has been in news for more reasons than one, and definitely nothing around the film’s promotions. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh has irked several outfits for allegedly ‘distorting of historical facts’. After months of staying at the receiving end of a lot of anger, the makers of Padmavati on Monday said they were ready to screen the film for those who had doubts about its content once the film was passed by the Censor Board.

Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, said the claims that film was a distortion of history were not true and they were open to screening the film after it was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). “We are first looking at the Censor Board (for clearance) and then we don’t have a problem (to show the film) because they are imagining something different and we would like to quell all these doubts first. But ideally we want to get the certificate first,” Andhare told PTI.

He said the filmmakers had received some representations. “We do not have a problem (in screening the film) please realise this is unprecedented, this is not how it is supposed to be done. What they (certain sections of people) are saying is not in the film, we do not have anything to hide,” he added.

Ranveer Singh plays Alauddin Khilji in Padmavati.

He said they did not want the film to get stuck in any further controversy and were waiting to hear from the CBFC. “We are going to this length as we want to quell the controversy; it is a needless controversy. The film doesn’t need it. The film has its own merit and we just want that the censor board gives us a screening date so that we can take it ahead. The ball is in the censor’s court,” he said.

The film was submitted to the CBFC last week. “Bhansali Production applied online last Friday. We are waiting to hear from the board for the screening. That is our first priority. I am not foreseeing any problem. No film in the history of censor board has got delayed, I have no reason to believe the film will be delayed. We have nothing to worry (about),” he said.

In an interview to indianexpress.com, RP Singh, National President of Akhand Rajputana Seva Sangh, one of the groups protesting against the film, said that the Bhansali Productions has assured them of showing the film to a Rajput delegate of 11 people in coming days.

“On Saturday night, we got a call from Mahavir Jain, the media consultant of both Bhansali Productions and Viacom 18, who had also taken Shobha Sant (CEO of Bhansali Productions) on thre call. Both assured to show us the film on a date between November 15 and 18. So, we have decided to stall our protest till then,” Singh said.

“A group of 11 people from our community will be shown the film. They also mentioned sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore but we are not sure if he will be a part of the delegate. If this group is satisfied with the film we will give full support to Padmavati,” he added.

Padmavati is scheduled to be released on December 1.

(With PTI inputs)