Artistic freedom cannot distort heritage: Mewar ex-royal on SC's 'Padmaavat' order
Mumbai
January ,20 2018
Mahendra Singh Mewar, the 76th descendant of the Mewar
dynasty and a former Lok Sabha member, has criticised the Supreme Court order
allowing country-wide release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", saying
artistic freedom is "anti-national" if it plays with history and nation's
heritage.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Mahendra Singh said they object to the
"commercial exploitation and misrepresentation of actual historical" facts
presented on the big screen based on a "filmmaker's fantasy".
"Artistic
freedom has been commented upon by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. It may be observed
that the freedom of speech is not absolute even under the Constitution of India.
Artistic freedom cannot result in distortion of a heritage that is now also
national heritage. Nor can it demean its dignity. If it does so, artistic
freedom is both anti-national and an attack on constitutional rights of private
citizens."
The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for the all-India
release for "Padmaavat" on January 25 by staying the operation of orders by the
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana governments banning its release. Making it clear
that states can't ban the release of a film cleared by the Central Board of Film
Certification (CBFC), the court said that "creative art can't be guillotined".
The former royal said that "the decision has reportedly only clarified that
the Central Board of Film Certification has the authority to decide which film
is to be released in this country", adding that their objection was "to
commercial exploitation and misrepresentation of actual historical personages,
places and events clearly identified with names used to provide stature to a
filmmaker's fantasy", he added.
He also stated that had the film not used
names to identify a particular family, area and a chapter of its history,
"artistic freedom and intention would not have been objected to".
Mahendra Singh asked if the CBFC asked "anyone familiar with the poem "Padmavat"
to view the film in order to verify the claims of the film makers. "Why was
there a need for historians in the panel appointed by the CBFC if the film is
fictional?"
"Padmaavat", which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and
Shahid Kapoor, has had a long history of trouble.
From being assaulted on
the film's set in Jaipur to the set being vandalised in Kolhapur to getting
threats from detractors -- Bhansali has been facing the ire of organisations
that are up in arms against the period drama since its inception -- from when it
was titled "Padmavati".
Months after facing opposition, the makers,
Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, clarified that the film was
based on 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem "Padmavat",
and does not distort historical facts -- as was being alleged by some Rajput
outfits.
Mumbai
January ,20 2018
Mahendra Singh Mewar, the 76th descendant of the Mewar
dynasty and a former Lok Sabha member, has criticised the Supreme Court order
allowing country-wide release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", saying
artistic freedom is "anti-national" if it plays with history and nation's
heritage.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Mahendra Singh said they object to the
"commercial exploitation and misrepresentation of actual historical" facts
presented on the big screen based on a "filmmaker's fantasy".
"Artistic
freedom has been commented upon by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. It may be observed
that the freedom of speech is not absolute even under the Constitution of India.
Artistic freedom cannot result in distortion of a heritage that is now also
national heritage. Nor can it demean its dignity. If it does so, artistic
freedom is both anti-national and an attack on constitutional rights of private
citizens."
The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for the all-India
release for "Padmaavat" on January 25 by staying the operation of orders by the
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana governments banning its release. Making it clear
that states can't ban the release of a film cleared by the Central Board of Film
Certification (CBFC), the court said that "creative art can't be guillotined".
The former royal said that "the decision has reportedly only clarified that
the Central Board of Film Certification has the authority to decide which film
is to be released in this country", adding that their objection was "to
commercial exploitation and misrepresentation of actual historical personages,
places and events clearly identified with names used to provide stature to a
filmmaker's fantasy", he added.
He also stated that had the film not used
names to identify a particular family, area and a chapter of its history,
"artistic freedom and intention would not have been objected to".
Mahendra Singh asked if the CBFC asked "anyone familiar with the poem "Padmavat"
to view the film in order to verify the claims of the film makers. "Why was
there a need for historians in the panel appointed by the CBFC if the film is
fictional?"
"Padmaavat", which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and
Shahid Kapoor, has had a long history of trouble.
From being assaulted on
the film's set in Jaipur to the set being vandalised in Kolhapur to getting
threats from detractors -- Bhansali has been facing the ire of organisations
that are up in arms against the period drama since its inception -- from when it
was titled "Padmavati".
Months after facing opposition, the makers,
Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, clarified that the film was
based on 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem "Padmavat",
and does not distort historical facts -- as was being alleged by some Rajput
outfits.
Tags: Sanjay Leela BhansaliDeepika PadukoneRanveer SinghShahid KapoorPadmaavat