CBFC behaving in a strange way: Shyam Benegal on ''Padmavati'' row

Mumbai, November 20

As the "Padmavati" crisis escalates, veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal shows concern on the behaviour of  The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The filmmaker, who helmed a committee to recommend reforms in the censor board's working, has strong words of censure for the panel.

"I must say the CBFC is behaving very strangely   in the matter of 'Padmavati'. If the film did not carry a disclaimer it could easily be corrected. Why send the film back? Again it seems very suspicious," said Benegal.

Benegal, who has faced furious backlash in his time for his cinema on socio-cultural equality, is baffled by the extent of the "Padmavati" uproar.

"I am sorry I can't comment on 'Padmavati'.I haven't seen it, have you? No one has seen it. Yet there are hordes of people objecting to its content. Does that make any sense?I can't understand how the protest has spread across the nation when hardly anyone   has seen   the film. How can they protest against a film become so rampant when no   one has   seen the film, no one knows the content.

"I am sorry, the protests make no sense, unless we judge them against the political current political climate   in the country." Benegal, whose films like "Ankur",  "Nishant",  "Manthan"  focused on the evils of the caste system, sees a pattern of vote-bank politics in the protests against "Padmavati"  "This is being done to consolidate   the  Rajput  vote. Now,   you   must understand   that the Rajput community is   not   one homogenized   community across the country," he said.

"The Rajputs of Rajasthan possess a different mindset and cultural inclination as compared with theRajputs in other   parts   of India. And even those Rajputs in different regions outside Rajasthan are diverse in their outlook.By raking up the 'Padmavati' non-issue, the Karni  Sena   hopes to homogenize the  Rajput  country across the country, unite them over an utterly irrelevant   crisis. Sadly their ploy seems to be working. If I am from a particular caste and you tell me my cultural heritage is threatened I will naturally react against the threat," he added.

Benegal urges the protesters to get reasonable.

He said: "Wait for 'Padmavati' to release then pass your verdict. What   is the point in commenting over a film whose content has not been exposed  to the public?" — IANS.