Panipat movie screening held up in Rajasthan’s 36 theatres

Yash Goyal
Jaipur, December 10

Following widespread protest by the Jat community over “distorted” historical facts in Ashutosh Gowariker’s movie ‘Panipat’ in parts of Rajasthan, many cinema halls in the state capital of Rajasthan stopped screening since Monday. 

Whereas Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to interfere and take cognisance of the resentment of Rajasthan people over the distorted portrayal of Bharatpur’s Maharaja Surajmal in the movie released last Friday.  

The screening of Panipat was held up in 16 cinema halls of Jaipur, 20 in Kota, many in Bikaner, Bharatpur, and even online ticket booking got disturbed. 

Politicians cutting across the party line and NGOs like Brahmin Mahasabha and Gurjrar lobby have demanded ban on the movie forthwith. 

On Monday, the screening of Panipat film was held up at Raj Mandir, Cinepolix and Inox theatres in Jaipur following the huge gathering of protesters of Jat community outside before the show began.

The Jaipur district administration asked the theatres to stop screening in view of the protests, Ashok Tanwar, manager of Raj Mandir theatre, told reporters.

The screening will resume only after the orders, he added. 

Protesters pelted stones at Inox theatre located at Vaishali Nagar, and glass panes of eateries were damaged, the police said, adding enough policemen were deployed to avert any clash. 

Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh and MLAs Wajib Ali, Mukesh Bhakar and Ramswaroop Gawadi led the protest and Bharatpur band demanding ban on the film.

Similar protests were reported in parts of Bikaner district. 

In an interaction with the media, the chief minister said the sentiments of people should not be hurt and it would be better if the film was screened after people are satisfied.

Art and artists should be given full honour and respect but he should also take care not only of public feeling based on the caste, religion, community and historical personalities and deities, Gehlot advised.

Hence the CBFC should interfere in it after taking cognisance of the seriousness of protests by a particular community, strong followers and scion of Maharaj Surajmal of Bharatpur.

The filmmaker should hold immediate conversation with the protesters who demanded ban on it, Gehlot added. 

The film based on the third battle of Panipat depicted Maharaj Surajmal as a greedy ruler, according to Tourism Minister Singh who is openly supporting the Jats’ protests against Panipat.

This is the insult of our ancestors in movies and it would not be tolerated, Singh warned. 

As per the movie, when Maratha warrior Sadashiv Rao Bhau (played by Arjun Kapoor) seeks help from Maharaja to defeat the Afghans, the latter demands Agra Fort in return for the favour. When Sadashiv refuses, the Maharja turns him away.

“This is a wrong historical fact. We demand immediate apology by the makers and ban on the movie,” Nem Singh Faujdar, who led the protests and burning of effigies of Gowariker in Bharatpur, has said. 

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also assailed the wrong portrayal of Maharaja Surajmal and demanded immediate correction in the movie.