News about cuts in 'Padmavat' untrue, says CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi

Mumbai, Jan 9: CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi said the censor board had cleared "Padmavat" and and reports about cuts were "absolutely untrue".

Joshi said the producers had re-submitted the film with the changes suggested by the board's advisory panel, which reviewed the Sanjay Leela Bhansali period drama recently.

"The makers have submitted the final film with agreed five modifications. These modifications have tried to incorporate observations and suggestions given by the advisory panel, in keeping with the sentiments of society. "This has already been communicated by the CBFC and a U/A certificate has been given to the film. The CBFC's process is complete and any further news about cuts etc is absolutely untrue," Joshi said in a statement.

He said the board had already cleared the film and it should not be dragged into any controversy, in an apparent reference to a newspaper report that said the modifications suggested by the board would entail some 300 cuts. The report said the makers had been asked to remove all references to names of places. "Let's refrain from utilising the CBFC's name unnecessarily," Joshi said.

In a release on December 30, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had said that the film will get a "U/A certification along with some modifications" and a likely change in the title on the basis of the attributed creative source.

The movie, which was earlier set to arrive in theatres on December 1 last year, will now release on January 25. Bhansali, who appeared before a parliamentary panel, had said his lavishly mounted Rs 150 crore period drama, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the 16th century epic poem "Padmavat" by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

The film got stuck after various Rajput groups alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by the director. Historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed.

PTI