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'<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>The film <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Padmavati_(film)" title="Padmavati (film)">Padmavati</a> became controversial during production. There were allegations from groups such as the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation, claiming that the film depicts factual inaccuracies, portraying the Rajput queen Padmavati in a bad light, with activists vandalizing the sets of the film. However, a sting operation[73] conducted by an Indian news channel[74] showed that the activists had planted the controversies in order to extort money from the filmmakers.</p> <p>In response to vandalism of sets in January 2017, The Times of India reported, "Sufi poet Jayasi made up the story that later got legend status, so Bhansali can't be threatened for taking creative licence with the tale, say historians".[75] Akhilesh Khandelwal, an Indian politician and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, made a Facebook post announcing a reward for anyone who attacks the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali with a shoe. The opposition Indian National Congress (INC) condemned the post, demanding action be taken against Khandelwal for attempting to instigate an attack.[76] Bhansali was assaulted by the Karni Sena on a film set,[77] at attack condemned by a number of celebrities and public figures.[78]</p> <p>In March 2017, some activists of the Karni Sena broke 50-year-old mirrors installed in the Padmini Palace, that was said to have been the palace of Padmavati. The mirrors until then were shown to tourists as part of the narrative that the queen's face was revealed to Alauddin Khilji through them as part of the latter's compromise with her husband Ratan Singh. The activists deplored this claiming that mirrors did not exist during the time.[79] Later that month, while the cast and crew were filming a scene in Masai plateau, Kolhapur at night, a mob of around 20–30 people armed with petrol bombs, stones and lathis charged and set the set ablaze, injuring animals and destroying several costumes. The attacks were considered staged as they were based on the false pretext set up by Rajput groups that the film includes a dream sequence in which Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji are seen in intimate contact.[80] In October, a rangoli of the first poster released from the film, which reportedly took 48 hours to create, was destroyed by a group of around 100 people shouting religious slogans. Action was taken by the police after Padukone expressed her anger on social media.[81] Members of the Sena later stated that they would prevent release even if objectionable parts were cut.[82]</p> <p></p> <div id="toc" class="toc"> <div class="toctitle"> <h2>Contents</h2> </div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Threats"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Threats</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Reactions"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Reactions</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="#Withdrawals"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Withdrawals</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="#Historians"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Historians</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#Pre-screening"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Pre-screening</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <p></p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Threats">Threats</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Controversy_of_Padmavati&amp;action=edit&amp;section=1" title="Edit section: Threats">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali received death threats. Subsequently, the Karni Sena made threats of violence, reportedly threatening to burn down theatres if the film is released to audiences before it is shown to them for evaluation. Bhansali responded to the threats by reiterating that rumours of a romantic dream sequence between Padmini and Khilji were false, and that the film contains no such scene. BBC News stated that Bhansali's attempt to placate those who want the film to be banned has "fallen on deaf ears among those who want to 'protect the honour' of a fictitious queen."[83]</p> <p>In November 2017, Raj K. Purohit, an Indian politician and senior BJP member, called for the film to be banned. He stated: "How can a Rajput queen be shown dancing and without ghoonghat? It is against Rajput culture and pride. No community will be able to tolerate it." He said he would meet Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani to seek action against the film.[84] Central Board of Film Certification member Arjun Gupta petitioned the Home Minister to put Bhansali on trial for treason.[85] The Karni Sena held protests, supported by politicians in the ruling BJP party.[86]</p> <p>Threats were also directed at Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone, and it was reported that riot police might be deployed at Indian cinemas upon the film's release.[87] The Karni Sena threatened to violently assault and mutilate Padukone, which the Mumbai Police responded to by giving her special security.[88][87] Bharat Kshatriya Samaj, another caste organization, made death threats against Bhansali and Padukone, putting a ₹5 crore (US$780,000) bounty on their heads.[89][90] The Haryana BJP's media chief Suraj Pal Amu put a ₹10 crore (US$1.6 million) bounty on the heads of both Padokone and Bhansali.[91] Amu also made threats against Ranveer Singh, who plays the Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji, threatening to break Singh's legs.[92]</p> <p>On 24 November 2017, a dead body was found hanging in Nahargarh Fort, with a sentence scribbled on a nearby rock wall stating in Hindi, "Padmavati ka virodh" (in opposition to Padmavati). The graffiti also included a warning, "We don't just burn effigies, we hang them."[93][94] NDTV reported, "The police say it's not clear if this is a case of suicide or murder."[94] The death, initially thought to have been committed against the release of Padmavati, was later found to have been an attempt, by appearing to be a murder committed by Muslims in support of Padmavati, to incite communal riots between Hindus and Muslims.[95] On 26 November 2017, the body was identified to be that of a local businessman. The post mortem report revealed that the man died due to hanging.[96]</p> <p>The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) passed the film with a (12A) rating and zero cuts.[97] Following this, a Karni Sena leader went on Republic TV and threatened to burn down British theatres that screened the film. He called on his "fellow Rajput brothers" to stop the screening of the film.[98] The BBFC responded to the Rajasthan Association's query and stated that "freedom of choice must be respected" and that filmmakers are “free to explore narratives based on historical events” and to interpret them as they wish.[99] They also stated that there was "nothing" in the film that was "unacceptable" under the 12A category.[99]</p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Reactions">Reactions</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Controversy_of_Padmavati&amp;action=edit&amp;section=2" title="Edit section: Reactions">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>In November 2017, in the midst of the controversy preceding the film's release, the makers received support from the film community. Bodies such as Indian Film &amp; Television Directors' Association, Cine &amp; TV Artists Association, Western India Cinematographers' Association, Association of Cine &amp; Television Art Directors &amp; Costume Designers questioned the Indian government's silence over threats to the makers from the Rajput groups. Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra called the incidents "an assault on creative freedom".[100] They termed the hostility towards Bhansali and the makers "akin to abusing the film fraternity".[101] The makers also received support from eminent personalities such as Salman Khan, Ruby Rose,[102] Shraddha Kapoor,[103] Karan Johar,[104] Javed Akhtar,[104] Swara Bhaskar,[105] Anurag Kashyap,[105] Anurag Basu,[105] Gauri Shinde,[105] Hansal Mehta,[105] Varun Dhawan,[106] Sonam Kapoor,[106] Twinkle Khanna,[106] Arjun Kapoor,[106] Riteish Deshmukh,[106] Shekhar Kapur,[107] Kapil Sharma,[108] Manushi Chhillar,[109] Nana Patekar,[110] Juhi Chawla,[111] Anand L. Rai,[111] Esha Gupta,[112] Raveena Tandon[113] LK Advani,[114] Kriti Sanon,[115] Yami Gautam,[115] Sonakshi Sinha,[116] Kangana Ranaut[117] Hritik Roshan,[118] Richa Chadda,[118] Kamal Haasan,[118] Rishi Kapoor,[118] Rajkummar Rao,[118] Shyam Benegal,[118] Pahlaj Nihalani[118], Shabana Azmi and Priyanka Chopra[119].[120] There were calls to boycott the 48th International Film Festival of India from actors of the Indian film industry in support of the film.[121]</p> <p>The major political parties across India took conflicting stands. While several members and leaders of the centre-ruled BJP called for an outright ban on the film, the Rajasthan State unit of the party and that of the INC adopted a stance in favour of the Rajput community, stating that the makers of the film must not offend "people's sentiments". The Economic Times attributed this stance to the State elections due to be held the following year, and their attempts to not offend the said majority community.[122] Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the protests.[123] Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress shared similar views and claimed the prevalence of "super emergency" in the country and called the controversy a "calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves."[124] The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena gave its support to the makers tacitly and said that the party would take a stance upon watching the film.[125] Ajmer Sharif Dargah's Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan also urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the release of the film, likening Bhansali to Rushdie, Taslima Nasreen and Tareq Fatah, authors who supposedly hurt the sentiments of Muslims.[126]</p> <p>The controversies surrounding the film re-opened the question of film censorship in India and the country's freedom of expression.[127][128] Amid resentments from political leaders and caste groups calling to stop the film's release, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition for the same, and called freedom of speech and expression "sacrosanct" and that is "should not be ordinarily interfered with".[129][130] In support of the film, the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA) and 20 other film industry bodies planned a 15-minute blackout on 26 November 2017.[131]</p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Withdrawals">Withdrawals</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Controversy_of_Padmavati&amp;action=edit&amp;section=3" title="Edit section: Withdrawals">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>On 20 November, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said "The film which distorts facts and disrespects 'Rashta Mata' Padmavati will not be allowed to screen in any part of Madhya Pradesh."[132] Following this, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, announced that he would not allow the film to be released in his state.[133] However, Singh was later quoted saying on 10 December, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati, which is mired in a major controversy, will not be barred from screening in my state."[134] The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, stated that the film will not be screened in the state until the changes to the storyline suggested by her in a letter to the Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are incorporated.[135] The Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh also demanded removal of "controversial portions" to allow screening of the film in that state.[136] Mamta Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal supported the film's release and was quoted saying, "If they cannot release it in any other state, we will give special arrangement for Padmavati. Bengal will be very happy and Bengal will be proud to do that."[137] Amu responded by threatening to cut off Banerjee's nose, comparing her to the Hindu demoness Surpanakha.[138]Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, announced that the film would not be allowed to be screened in the state as it "hurts the sentiment of Rajput community."[139] The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, stated that the film will not be released in the state "without amicable solution among all parties involved."[140]</p> <p>The Karni Sena changed its stance on 23 November 2017, and agreed to support the release of the film, provided that the makers screen the film to the royal family of Mewar and agreed to withdraw the protests if nothing objectionable is found in the film.[141] Amu, who had earlier placed a bounty of ₹10 crore on Padukone's head, claimed to be a fan of Padukone and called her "the nation’s daughter."[142] However, he later added that he will not compromise on "Rajput honour and sentiment."[142] The Maharani of Jaipur Padmini intervened in the protests, stating that the film has no historical inaccuracy other then the song Ghoomar. A fan of Bhansali herself, the Rani plans to bring the Karni Sena and the filmmakers together to "chalk out a peace plan."[143]</p> <p>On 30 November 2017, Bhansali appeared before the Indian Parliament and clarified his stance, stating, "All the controversy over the film is based on rumours. I have not distorted facts. The film is based on a poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi."[144]</p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Historians">Historians</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Controversy_of_Padmavati&amp;action=edit&amp;section=4" title="Edit section: Historians">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Several historians have criticised the protests, and described Padmavati as a mythical fictional character. Aditya Mukherjee from the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University called the protests "absurd" and said, "In the contemporary period, there is no mention of this event, no accounts of Padmavati by Amir Khusrau, a prolific writer of the era and a courtier of Alauddin Khilji. This is misuse of both fiction and history. There is no historical evidence of this Padmavati event - this story is a poet's imagination." He referred to the controversy as "manufacturing of hurt sentiments clearly with an eye on politics."[145] Historian Irfan Habib said, “Though Alauddin Khilji had won Chittor, during that period there is no mention of any character as Padmavati in history” and noted that she was mentioned for the first time in Muhammad Jayasi's fictional epic Padmavat over two centuries after the Chittor incident.[146] Historian Harbans Mukhia writes in The Indian Express, "Khalji defeated the Rana of Chittor in 1303 and died in 1316. No one by the name of Padmini or Padmavati existed then — or at any time — in flesh and blood resembling the story. She was born in 1540, 224 years after Khalji’s death, in the pages of a book of poetry by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, resident of Jayas in Awadh, a very long way from Chittor."[147] Social analyst Jamal Ansari stated: “Presently myths are being presented as history which is a dangerous trend.”[146] Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik objected to the story of Padmavati and said that it is a glamorisation and valorisation of the idea of a woman voluntarily burning herself.[86]</p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Pre-screening">Pre-screening</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Controversy_of_Padmavati&amp;action=edit&amp;section=5" title="Edit section: Pre-screening">edit source</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Following the controversies, the makers held a special screening of Padmavati in November 2017 for leading Indian journalists, including Arnab Goswami and Rajat Sharma, who praised the film and described it as "the greatest tribute to Rajput pride."[148] They also stated that the film does not contain any dream sequence or intimate scene between Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). In fact, the actors do not share any screen space at all.[149] Rajat Sharma particularly praised Singh's performance as Khilji.[150]</p> <!-- NewPP limit report Parsed by mw1271 Cached time: 20171229145524 Cache expiry: 1900800 Dynamic content: false CPU time usage: 0.004 seconds Real time usage: 0.008 seconds Preprocessor visited node count: 16/1000000 Preprocessor generated node count: 0/1500000 Post‐expand include size: 0/2097152 bytes Template argument size: 0/2097152 bytes Highest expansion depth: 2/40 Expensive parser function count: 0/500 --> <!-- Transclusion expansion time report (%,ms,calls,template) 100.00% 0.000 1 -total --> </div>'