Padmaavat triggers violent protests, SC to hear pleas against 3 states, Karni Sena 

Despite a Supreme Court order, the Multiplex Association of India, which represents about 75 per cent of multiplex owners in the country, said the film will not be screened in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, saying "the law and order situation is not conducive" after fringe groups like the Karni Sena rampaged through several states, clashing with police, burning vehicles and vandalising malls.

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Monday two separate petitions seeking contempt action against four state governments and the Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena for violating its order allowing the all-India release of controversial movie. A contempt petition has been filed by Congress supporter Tehseen Poonawalla, seeking action against governments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for their alleged failure in containing mobs protesting the release of the Deepika Padukone-starrer movie. Another similar petition has been filed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Karni Sena and its office-bearers for allegedly holding violent protest against the movie in several states.

While incidents of rioting and arson were reported from Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra yesterday after activists of Karni Sena took to the streets to protest the release of the film, Gurugram Police today arrested 18 anti-Padmaavat protesters for yesterday's attack on a school bus.

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial movie—which is based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi—has been accused of alleged misrepresentations and distortion of facts that has left a sizable section of Rajput community red faced.

“Shree Rajput Karni Sena and other Rajput organisations have attacked more than half a dozen cinema halls across Bihar. A mob in Nalanda district’s Bihar Sharif town attacked a cinema hall, tore up posters of the film, damaged vehicles and threatened to set ablaze the theatre if the film is screened. Fearing repercussions from the Karni Sena, all cinema hall owners in Vaishali, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea districts have decided not to screen the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film on Thursday — the day it is being released across India,” The Indian Express reported. “Gajendra Singh, president of Kshatriya Mahasabha has announced reward worth Rs 1 crore to the person who can chop off Deepika Padukon’s ears and nose.”

The court, on January 18, set aside the ban and restrained other states from banning the movie, paving way for its all-India release on Jauary 25 (today). Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking recall of the SC order, which was dismissed on January 23.

The Udaipur district administration has requested schools and colleges to refrain from playing Padmaavat song Ghoomar on Republic Day tomorrow following a memorandum by the Karni Sena which threatened an apriya ghatna (undesirable incident) if it is played or danced to. The movie is not being screened in theatres in the state as leading distributors and cinema hall owners fear a “potential risk to property and life.”

Following the Gurugram school bus attack yesterday, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had called the incident “utterly shameful.” Taking to Twitter, he added, “If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not good for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs.”

Kejriwal’s comments were “endorsed” by BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha this morning who tweeted, “I strongly endorse our friend Kejriwal’s tweet in National interest. If Centre & all State Govts, with clear directions from the SC can’t get ONE movie (Padmaavat)released & run safely, can we expect investment to flow smoothly from Davos, Switz or for that matter even Timbuctu?”

Here’s a collection of Twitter reactions on the release of Rs 190-crore movie and swelling protests and incidents of vandalism and violence in several states:

churumuri on Twitter

twitter.com

“Heard at lunch: “The violence of Rajput thugs in BJP-ruled States is a crash course for millennials who were too young when Gujarat 2002 happened. A majoritarian mob on the rampage, do-nothing CMs, elections on the way. A train then; a school bus now.” #KarniSenaViolence”

Meanwhile, Padmaavat was on Wednesday cleared for release in Pakistan, said the censor board's top official. “Padmaavat has been declared fit for public exhibition in the cinema houses without any excision by Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC)," Mobashir Hasan told news agency IANS via social media from Islamabad. The film has been given 'U' certification.

According to some distributors in Pakistan, there were apprehensions over the movie given the negative portrayal of Alauddin Khilji.

Satish Reddy, Chairman, Eveready Group of Companies, a key film distributor in Pakistan, told IANS that "Padmaavat" should have a "very strong" response in its first week.