Padmavati deferred: Shahid Kapoor will choose to be optimistic

Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor, who essays the role of Rajput warrior Maharawal Ratan Singh in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, spoke about the controversies that have plagued the film.

The hunk of an actor, who attended the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, said that stopping the release of the film would set a precedent which he would not be "proud" of, adding that he had to suffer a similar ordeal with his earlier film Udta Punjab.

Shahid’s Udta Punjab also starring Diljit Dosanjh, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan made headlines ahead of its release owing to its content. The film attracted criticism from the political spectrum and triggered controversies aplenty.

"It will be a precedent which I am not proud of if the film finds it difficult to release. I believe that the film will release. I believe that this process is difficult and like I said, I went through a similar process with Udta Punjab. I eventually saw the film come out and I eventually saw the film loved and celebrated," Shahid said.

"So till I am disappointed, I will choose to be optimistic, because this has happened in the past. And I did see Udta Punjab released. It was released all over the country.

"It released peacefully and it was seen by any and everybody and the people whom the film was about, the state of Punjab, their reaction was so beautiful when they saw the film. And I really think it will be similar for Padmavati," said the actor.

Threats to physically injure filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the movie's lead actress Deepika Padukone have been made and this has left the film industry appalled.

Time and again, actors and makers of the film have clarified that the film doesn’t have any objectionable scene between Deepika Padukone (who essays Rani Padmavati ) and Ranveer Singh ( who plays Alauddin Khilji).

But protestors aren’t convinced even a bit.

Padmavati, on the valour of Rajput queen Padmavati, is in the eye of a storm following protests from conservative groups.

"Any kind of conversation which is violent in nature is not very nice, is not in good taste and it is absolutely uncalled for an unfortunate," Shahid said.

"I believe in the process of certification and I am very confident that eventually Padmavati will come out and it will come out in full force. I don't think there is anything in the film that is you know unacceptable or that is not in good taste. I think our constitution says you are innocent until proven guilty," he added.

Padmavati is yet to get a certificate from the censor board.

(With IANS inputs)