Madhya Pradesh: Uncertainty over release of "Padmaavat" in Indore

Indore, Feb 7: Even as police assured security to the cinema halls screening 'Padmaavat', suspense prevailed over the release of "Padmaavat" in the city tomorrow.

Film distributors and theatre owners in Indore had yesterday agreed to screen the film after the state government assured to provide adequate security cover. However, it is no yet clear how many cinema halls or multiplexes will screen the movie here or elsewhere in the state tomorrow.

Instead of the posters of "Padmaavat", those of Akshay Kumar-starrer film "Padman", which is scheduled to release on February 9, are visible across the city. Theatre owners in Madhya Pradesh had last month decided not to screen filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh following large-scale protests and bandhs in several places.

Director General of Police, Indore Range, H C Mishra told reporters that it was now up to the cinema halls owners to release the movie or not.

"We will provide adequate security cover at the cinema halls that screen the movie," he assured. We have already assured the film distributors and cinema hall owners that law and order will be maintained during the release of "Padmaavat"," he added.

An office-bearer of central circuit cine association said, "If everything goes well, "Padmaavat" would be released in multiplexes tomorrow."

Secretary of Bhopal Cinema Association, Azizuddin, had yesterday said that within three hours of the release of the film in Indore, it would be screened in the state capital. Of the 361 cinema halls across Madhya Pradesh, owners of 200 theatres are eagerly waiting to screen the movie, he had said.

On January 23, two days before the nationwide release of "Padmaavat", the Supreme Court had refused to modify its earlier order, which had cleared the decks for its screening. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had petitioned the apex court to modify its order and stop the release of the movie.

Meanwhile, Rajput organisation Karni Sena, which had spearheaded the protests against Padmaavat, today reaffirmed its opposition to the screening of the film. The organisation said it would stage peaceful protests against its release in Madhya Pradesh.

"As the film has portrayed the history in a distorted manner, we will continue to oppose," Raghu Parmar, state in-charge of Karni Sena, said.

"We are going to stand outside the cinema halls and request the people not to watch the movie," he added.

The film is based on the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.

PTI