As the controversial Bollywood film ‘Padmaavat’ is finally set to be released on January 25, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali invited a fringe group protesting against it to watch the film.
The acting mediator and spokesperson for the Rajput Karni Sena Suresh Chavhanke was among a team of forty representatives invited to a special screening of Padmaavat.
The group’s representatives including Chavhanke gave their own ‘review’ of the movie. Addressing a press conference after the screening, he said the movie now adheres to their expectations and does not seem to give any cause for protests.
“Whatever objections we had raised against the film have considered in sizabale proportions. Our biggest objection was the presence of a shot featuring Alauddin Khilji and Ma Padmavati. Whether through a ‘dream sequence’ of just a mere reflection, we did not want Khilji to touch Padmavati. And it has the Rajputs’ victory that Khilji, who couldn’t lay hands on Padmavati centuries ago, has failed to do so through Bhansali’s film.”
“Our second objection was that the Ghoomar dance does not feature any male presence or reveal any body part. Thankfully, the song in the film does not have any male presence (expect Raja Rawalji) and Padmavati’s midriff has been covered by digital effects.”
He tweeted a video, taken after the movie, of them shouting slogans to celebrate their victory over Bhansali. He also urged the protesters to not indulge in blind protests, but rather watch the movie and decide for themselves.
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Rajput Karni Sena chief denies clean chit to Padmaavat
However, the Rajput Karni Sena Chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi on Wednesday showed his displeasure towards Suresh Chavhanke’s press conference as Karni Sena’s review on Padmaavat.
“Why are rumours being spread again and again when we have already taken a stand and shared it with the media, not once or twice but many times? We say it again that we will not allow Padmaavat to be screened in India at any cost,” he said while talking to IANS.
Kalvi still holds his stand that the movie should not be screened as it has hurt people’s sentiments, and that team Padmaavat cannot be allowed to earn profit by defaming Rajputs.
“We are adamant on our stand that this film Padmavaat should be banned; there should be a self imposed curfew by people. We cannot let them earn profits by defaming us,” said Kalvi.
The Karni Sena also condemned the violence erupted against the release of the film. Kalvi had urged people to impose curfew in cinema halls and stop screening of the movie ‘Padmaavat’.
The flick, based on the legend of Rani Padmini, a 13th century Hindu Rajput queen, mentioned in Padmavat, an Avadhi poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540, has been facing protests from various fringe groups, particularly the Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts. The film is all set for January 25 worldwide release in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.
