MUMBAI MIRROR (November 18, 2017)

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has sent Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Padmavati back to the makers saying the application for the certification was “incomplete”. According to the CBFC, the movie, which has triggered protests by several Rajput groups, will be reviewed as per the set norms once it is sent back to the board after sorting out the issue. “The film was submitted for certification last week. We examined the documents, as we normally do.

It was conveyed to the makers that their application was incomplete. They had to rectify and send it back, we will view it when it comes back to us,” a CBFC source said. “When the makers rectify the deficiency we will again scrutinise it and when the turn comes we will examine it,” the source added. The source, however, refused to divulge details of the “deficiency in the application” on account of which it was returned to the makers for rectification.

When asked about the date for screening of the film, the source said, “When it comes back to us we will put it in queue and see when the turn comes, there will be no exception in case of Padmavati.” Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, confirmed the development. “That’s true. But film is with the CBFC, it is merely a minor technical issue. Nothing stops them from seeing the film if they want to,” he said. Padmavati starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh, is set for December 1 release.
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Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 18, 2017)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati has been mired in controversy since it was announced, with various fringe outfits demanding a ban, alleging that the film has distorted history. The Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh starrer faced another hurdle yesterday when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) returned it, citing technicalities - a source said the application form was incomplete.

The source says, "Before a film goes for certification, the makers need to fill in an application form. The process has become online now. In the case of Padmavati, there were certain details that were not filled in. So the CBFC asked them to reapply." The process of screening the film cannot begin until the makers re-apply with the duly filled form. "Once that is done, the board will issue a date on which they will see the film and certify it." Earlier, the Supreme Court had rejected a petition filed against the release of the film, saying the CBFC was yet to issue a certificate to the movie. The court had added that the CBFC was an independent body and the court would not intervene in their jurisdiction.

There has also been chatter about how the film was not submitted 68 days prior to its release - the minimum time as per the rule stated in the 1952 Act. However, the source insists that the rule has hardly been put into practice. "We recently had Jagga Jasoos for which the certification came four days before the release. There are times when the post-production work goes on till the last minute and the film reaches the board much later than it should. So, this is nothing new." In the midst of these developments, Ajit Andhare (COO, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, producer of the film) took to Twitter to quell rumours of the drama being delayed. He wrote, "Rumours of postponement of Padmavati are baseless."