January ,20 2018
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has sent an invitation to
Shri Rajput Karni Sena and other Rajput associations to watch "Padmaavat" and
keep their 'misguided grievances' aside, its patron and founder Lokendra Singh
Kalvi has claimed.
In a press conference here on Saturday, Kalvi said the
letter has been sent after the date of release of the film has been fixed which
shows that this is well-planned gimmick.
"This letter will be put into
flames as it is just a part of show-off which has been done in an endeavour to
prove that 'we have invited Rajput community leaders'."
The letter reads
that Rajput community has been misled in this context.
It read: "The film
will maintain the honour and dignity of Queen Padmavati... The dream sequence
being talked about in the film is just a rumour and we have already apprised you
about the same in the letter sent on January 29, 2017. There is no such scene...
We assure that the entire Rajput community will feel proud after watching the
film."
Talking about the move, Kalvi said: "We never asked him to show us
the film but we wanted nine historians to be shown the film, out of which the
film has been shown to three historians only. On top of it, the advice of these
historians was also not considered. We now want that the film should be shown to
the six remaining historians as well and their opinion on the same sought."
He added that the historians have been insulted as their opinions were
ignored and the film's release date was decided.
"Now at this point of
time, the only solution is to ban the film completely."
"Padmaavat" has
had a long history of trouble. It stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati,
Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.
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.
The makers of "Padmaavat" secured a
U/A certificate from the censor board after incorporating five modifications,
and locked the release date as January 25.
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.
But Kalvi said that "like every year, January 25
will come but (it will) not (be) the day of the release of the film".
"I
feel obliged as Rajasthan and Gujarat film distributors have assured us that the
film will not be released," he said.
He also made an appeal to the
"public to impose public curfew", saying they should not go to watch the film.