The average rating garnered by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama film Padmaavat raises questions whether the movie was worth the hype generated by it? Padmaavat has nothing new to offer to viewers and has a run of the mill script as Bhansali once again tries to repeat the same old formula of picturesque frames, dance sequences and lavish sets. Deepika Padukone’s and Shahid Kapoor’s performances are only the saving grace of the movie. Ever since Bhansali’s film went on floor it has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Karni Sena has been protesting against the movie as they had initially raised objections against Bhansali for distorting facts and portraying Rajputs in poor light. However, the Supreme Court rejected the plea filed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to ban the film and asked both states to clear the movie and take steps to maintain law and order.
Actress Shubhi Sharma condemned the violent incidents to disrupt Padmaavat’s screening. She said, “Since Padmaavat has taken a lot of time in making and lump sum money was invested in the project, if it fails to work then it is a huge loss for Bhansali and producers. Since I hail from Rajasthan I am well aware of the deep rooted culture existing there; people worship kings and queens as gods.”
“According to me the protestors were only sending a message to filmmaker to refrain from distorting history and stick to facts. Bhansali should also have thought about whether queens wear such type of costumes and dance as was portrayed in one of the movie songs. Protestors can carry out demonstrations peacefully but not resort to violence,” she added.
The controversy generated by Padmaavat was uncalled for as Bhansali had invited Shree Rajput Karni Sena to watch the movie. Bhansali has already clarified that there is no romantic dream sequence between Rani Padmaavati and Alauddin Khilji’s characters. The producers have denied the claims stating there’s not even a single frame where Rani Padmaavati and Khilji appear on-screen. Changes have been made in Ghoomar song too as a new version has been released in which Deepika’s midriff has been covered through special effects.
Marathi actor Kishor Kadam said that every filmmaker must have freedom to make the film as per his/her own wish. He also said, “The manner in which Padmaavat movie has been grabbing headlines, I feel it may or may not be a strategy of the producers to market the movie by creating controversy. Film may become a hit or flop at the box office but questions should not be raised against the honesty and dedication of the directors, producers and actors involved in any movie.”
“Reviews won’t matter to those who watch the movie passionately. Karni Sena initially protested against the film as they might have thought that it contained some objectionable scenes. If anybody has any objection against the movie then they must resolve the matter through dialogue and not by violence,” he added.
