'Padmaavat' release deferred in Indore

Indore: The proposed release of the controversial film "Padmaavat" in Indore today has been deferred, office-bearers of a film association said.

The film distributors and theatre owners in the city had two days back, agreed to screen the film today after the state government assured to provide adequate security cover.

"The release of "Padmaavat" in Indore, which was to happen today, has been put off. Right now, we cannot exactly tell when it will be released here," director of Central Circuit Cine Association (CCCA), O P Goyal, told PTI.

He did not specify why the release of the film has been deferred.

A special show of the film was held for Karni Sena leaders and activists in the city last night. However, the organisation continue to object to the film alleging distortion of history.

After watching the movie, MP Karni Sena in-charge Raghu Parmar told reporters, "History has been distorted in the movie."

"The movie depicts the character of erstwhile Chittor ruler Ratan Singh as weak (as compared to the Alauddin Khilji)," he added.

"The film shows that queen Padmavati went to Delhi to free her husband from Khilji's captivity, although there is no historical evidence to prove it," he said.

"We warn Sanjay Leela Bhansali to stop making films by way of distorting history," Parmar said.

Theatre owners in Madhya Pradesh had last month decided not to screen filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh following large-scale protests and bandhs in several places.

On January 23, two days before the nationwide release of "Padmaavat", the Supreme Court had refused to modify its earlier order, which had cleared the decks for its screening. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had petitioned the apex court to modify its order and stop the release of the movie.

The film is based on the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.