No ‘Padmavati’ release on Dec 1

Mumbai, November 19

The proposed release date of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie “Padmavati” has been deferred, the makers of the film said today.

Viacom18 Motion Pictures in a statement said it had taken the decision “voluntarily”. “Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind ‘Padmavati’, has voluntarily deferred the release date from December 1,” it said.

The spokesman said it had the highest regard for the law of the land and statutory bodies such as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). As a “responsible and law-abiding corporate citizen”, it was committed to following the established procedure and convention, it said.

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“We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film,” the statement read.

Censor Board chief Prasoon Joshi had yesterday slammed the makers for allowing the film to be screened for various media channels before obtaining a certificate from the board. 

The CBFC had sent the film back to the producer as the application for the certification was “incomplete”.

The studio said it would soon announce the new release date for the film. “We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course. We stand firm in our commitment to tell endearing tales that resonate with our audiences the world over as we have in the past with our other projects such as ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, ‘Queen’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag; and many more,” it said.

The makers reiterated that the film was a cinematic masterpiece capturing “Rajput valour, dignity and tradition in all its glory”.  — PTI

‘Rs 1 cr bounty’: Fringe

Bareilly (UP): A fringe group on Sunday targeted actress Deepika Padukone, announcing a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone “burning her alive”. Members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) burnt over a hundred effigies of Padukone and Bhansali. SP Rohit Singh Sahjawan said a report had been sought. Meanwhile, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the movie will not be allowed to be released in the state unless its “controversial portions” are removed.