The Patel Navnirman Sena demands that Sanjay Leela Bhansali stop work on his next
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 20, 2016)

Controversies surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period dramas are no secret. Bajirao Mastani had faced opposition from the descendants of the Maratha Peshwa and Mastani families in Pune and Hyderabad. While those dejections came close on the heels of the release of his 2015 film, Bhansali's next has already found itself in a soup.

While the grapevine is buzzing about Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor fighting over screen space, Mirror has learnt that the film's budget is set at a whopping Rs 150-crores, and it will be one of 2016's highest budgeted films and two leading production houses have come together for 35 per cent and 25 per cent of the stake.

The third is Bhansali's home production, SLB films, which stands at 20 per cent.

A grand set has been erected in Mumbai for the first schedule of Padmavati which begins with a song shoot, "Ghoomar", a Rajasthani-style dance routine, for which Deepika has begun prepping.

But Bhansali's plans to shoot in Gujarat and the Southern district of Mewar in Rajasthan, where the film is based, looks dicey. Hardik Patel, President of the Patel Navnirman Sena told Mirror, "Every person is proud of Maharani Padmavati, who sacrificed her life for the self-esteem of Chittorgarh. Along with 1,600 other queens, she died of jauhar, (self-immolation) when Alauddin Khilji had attacked Chittorgarh," he said, pointing out that this is the premise of Bhansali's next film, with Ranveer as Khilji and Shahid as Rawal Ratan Singh, Padmavati's husband. "But Rajasthan-based Rajput Sena's members met me and informed that SLB has not studied the history, and could damage the image of Rani Padmavati. So, we've informed him to stop the production of the film and hold discussions with Rajput leaders before he begins shooting," Patel said. "Bhansali should give assurance of not damaging Rani Padmavati's image, or else Patidar Navnirman Sena will hold protests against the movie across the country, and will not give permission for the film to release in Rajasthan. No director has the right to damage history for entertainment," he added.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; June 27, 2016)


The film now has a choice either of going to the Tribunal or it can take a leaf from Udta Punjab’s book and approach the courts. However, it is unlikely that in this case, considering the political sensitivity of the issue, the filmmakers would be able to exercise their legal options to get their film released. “For all practical purposes the Gujarati film based on Hardik Patel’s reservation agitation stands banned,” says a source in the know.

Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s Mohalla Assi, a hard-hitting indictment of commercialisation in Varanasi, also stands banned. Says an informed source, “The film was refused certification by the Examining Committee. The Revising Committee (RC) which viewed the film this week, has also refused to certify the film.”

It will be interesting to see which way these two politically-charged films go as far as censor certification is concerned.