Will burn all theatres screening Padmaavat, warn Rajput groups despite SC order

Members of the Rajput community on Thursday warned that releasing the controversial film Padmaavat will have serious consequences.

Film photo of protests against Padmaavat

New Delhi: Even as the Supreme Court paved the path for pan-India release of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film 'Padmaavat', members of the Rajput community on Thursday warned that releasing the controversial film will have serious consequences. 

Reiterating their demand for banning its release, a protester from the Chhattisgarh Rajput community said, ''Ye antim chetaawni hai usko iss baar khamiyaza bhugatna padega. Maharani Padmavati hamari aan baan shaan ki pratik hai aur agar Chhattisgarh mein film laga to iska khamiaza bhugatna padega. Jahan Padmaavat chalega wo cinema ghar jalega.'' (This is our last warning. We won't allow anyone to play with the dignity of Queen Padmavati, whom we hold with highest regard. All those cinema halls, which will screen the movie, will be set ablaze.)

Ye antim chetaawni hai usko iss baar khamiyaza bhugatna padega. Maharani Padmavati hamari aan baan shaan ki pratik hai aur agar Chhattisgarh mein film laga to iska khamiaza bhugatna padega. Jahan #Padmaavat chalega wo cinema ghar jalega: Protester pic.twitter.com/qUGsYHymCL

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018

Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Rajput Karni Sena Chief said in Ujjain, ''I urge all the social organisations to block the release of the film. Padmaavat should not be allowed to run in cinema halls. I urge all the people to create a curfew-like situation outside cinema halls screening the film.''

Kalvi also made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the release of the controversial film, which threatens to disrupt the social fabric of the country.

Poore desh ke saamajik sangathanon se appeal karoonga #Padmaavat nahi chalni chahiye. Film hall par janta curfew laga de: Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Rajput Karni Sena Chief in Ujjain #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/kxIYAE38EV

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018

Meanwhile, some members of the community also submitted a memorandum in this regard to Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra demanding a ban on the film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Members of Rajput Community submitted a memorandum to state Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra demanding ban on #Padmaavat in the state, say 'Cinema halls screening the film would be burnt down. No changes hereafter are acceptable. We want a complete ban'. pic.twitter.com/sIDIqKRNBY

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018

Suraj Pal Amu, the politician from Haryana who had earlier threatened to burn down any movie theatre that screened Bhansali's Padmaavat, too warned of serious consequences, saying the SC ruling has hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community members. 

''Aaj Supreme Court ne lakhon-crore logon, lakhon-crore Hinduon ki bhavnaon ko thes pahuchai hai, jo SC ka samman karte hain. Hamara sangharsh jaare rahega chaahe mujhe faansi laga do! Ye film release hogi toh desh tootega,'' Suraj Pal Amu said.

Aaj Supreme Court ne lakhon-crore logon, lakhon-crore Hinduon ki bhavnaon ko thes pahuchai hai, jo SC ka samman karte hain. Hamara sangharsh jaare rahega chaahe mujhe faansi laga do! Ye film release hogi toh desh tootega: Suraj Pal Amu pic.twitter.com/smAb63kjbj

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018

Apart from threatening to torch movie theatres, Amu had also sensationally offered a Rs 10 crore reward to anyone who would behead Bhansali, the director of Padmaavat, or Deepika Padukone, who plays the role of Rani Padmani.

He, however, resigned as the Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party's chief media coordinator last year.

The angry reactions from the Rajput community members came minutes after the top court cleared the way for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period film ‘Padmaavat’.

It said that no state has the right to impose a ban on the movie after it has been cleared by the highest court of the country and the CBFC.

The decision of the apex court came after authorities in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana said that they would not allow the film to be released in the states over alleged distortion of historical facts.

The states had imposed a ban on the film despite it getting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Following the ban by the states, the makers of the film had moved the top court to ensure a pan-India release on January 25.

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In their plea, the producers had questioned the right of the four state governments to ban the film in the light of Supreme Court's recent observation that the film's screening could only be suspended in a particular area if there is any law and order problem.

The release of Bhansali's magnum opus was banned in several states to defuse a potential law and order problem due to the widespread protests by several right-wing outfits, led by the Sri Rajput Karni Sena.

The film ran into troubled waters since it went on floors after members of several Rajput factions accused director Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting historical facts and showing the erstwhile Rajput Queen in a bad light.

After much protests, the film was given clearance by the CBFC, which had formed a panel comprising historians and members of royal family to take a call on certifying the film.

During the certification process of the film, Bhansali even appeared before a parliamentary panel where he said that the film was an adaptation of Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's 'Padmaavat'.

Featuring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharaja Rawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji, the film was given a U/A certificate from CBFC recently.

The board had asked the producers to change the title, along with four other modifications.

However, the Karni Sena has refused to budge from its stand, as it has called for a "janata curfew" on the day of the release of the film. They have said that they would not accept anything short of pan-India ban on the release of the film.  

(With Agency inputs)