Adding to the long-prevailing controversy over the upcoming Bollywood movie Padmavati, Haryana Health minister Anil Vij on Saturday said that his state’s government will approach the Censor Board to seek a nationwide ban on the movie.
The minister said that he would not allow the screening of the movie in the state.
Vij claimed that the film producer of 'Padmavati', Sanjay Leela Bhansali, had allegedly wrongly presented the historical facts in the movie to "defame" the image of 'Rani Padmavati' which had hurt the sentiments of lakhs of people.
"Rani Padmavati is the symbol of Indian women' pride. The character assassination of Padmavati will not be tolerated at any level," he said.
The minister said that the state government would approach the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), demanding a ban on the film throughout the country.
Protestors demand screening of film before expert panel
Protests seeking a ban on Padmavati continued today as members of royal families, right-wing outfits and even tourist guides demanded that the Deepika Padukone-starrer be screened before an expert panel, ahead of its commercial release.
BJP MLA and a member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, Diya Kumari, launched a signature campaign today against the film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, saying if historical facts were distorted in the film, it should not be allowed to hit the screens.
Kumari also said the film should be screened before a panel of experts as had been agreed upon by its makers.
"The panel should ascertain that the historical facts as depicted in the film are correct and then only it should beallowed to be released," she added.
The BJP MLA said a memorandum of the signature campaign would be sent to all the district collectors in Rajasthan.
Kumari said the royal family was not aware of what Bhansali was about to shoot when his production house, SLB Productions, obtained permission for shooting at one of their premises.
"The very next day, we asked them to stop shooting after a protest erupted. If we knew that the film was based on such a story, then no one would like such a thing to happen," she added.
Kumari claimed that the makers had promised to show the film and its trailers to a panel of experts before they were released.
"A song (from the film) released recently is also not presented in its traditional form," she said.
Devayush Singh, member of the erstwhile Shahpura royal family, told a press conference that if history was presented in a distorted form in the film, then the audience might consider such a depiction to be true.
"It is a sensitive issue for the people of Rajasthan. Rani Padmavati was an inspiration for the entire country. She was an idol for the women," he said.
Singh too said the song, 'Ghoomar', in the film was not presented in the traditional form.
"We have written to the censor board, urging it not to give a certification to the film until the distorted facts are removed," he added.
Members of the Jaipur Tourist Guides' Association staged a protest outside the Amber fort and raised slogans against the film.
The president of the association, Madan Singh, said the protests would continue till the distorted facts in the film were removed.
'Padmavati', also starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is set to hit the screens on December 1.
(With PTI inputs)
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