Respect art, but don't hurt sentiments: Himachal Pradesh CM on Padmavat

SHIMLA: A day after makers of Padmavat announced that the controversial movie will be released on January 25, 2018, Himachal Pradesh new Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that one should avoid hurting people's sentiments.

“I respect art but when it comes to people's sentiments getting hurt, it must be thought about and discussed,” said Thakur.

The release date for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavat was finally announced on Tuesday. 

However, the movie will not be released in Rajasthan, confirmed state Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Speaking on the release of the movie in the hill state, Thakur said, “I don't want to say much. We will discuss what to do. The film, indeed, is a controversial one.”

Amid massive protests and after a long delay, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave a green signal on December 30 and cleared the film with a U/A certificate. The board further suggested changing the film's title to Padmavat besides making four other modifications.

The film was earlier scheduled to hit the screens on December 1 but after facing major protests across the nation by fringe groups, its release date was pushed ahead for indefinite time.