Padmavati controversy: Movie release only after CBFC clearance, say producers

The film starring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji was earlier scheduled to release on December 1.

Mumbai, November 27: Only after the censor board's go-ahead, the producers of the controversy-ridden film "Padmavati" will take a call on its release, a source said on Monday.

The film starring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji was earlier scheduled to release on December 1.

On Sunday, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind "Padmavati", announced in a statement that they were voluntarily deferring the release of the film out of "respect and regard for the law of the land" including the Central Board of Film Certification". They said a new release date will be announced once the "requisite clearances" are in place.

But media reports have claimed that the film is now pushed for next year and the promotions have been put on hold. The source from the production house, however, told PTI that no concrete decision has been reached yet.

"We will decide the release date of the film after getting the certificate from the CBFC. We will wait for the censor board to give us clearance and then decide which is the best date for the release," the source said.

CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi on Sunday said that the board should be given adequate time to come up with a balanced decision about the movie.

A source in the CBFC today echoed Joshi's views. "In CBFC, 68 days is the maximum time (to certify a film), it can be less also. We normally do it in a month or over a month's time (certification). With a film like this, you need to be careful, take opinions, so it takes a little bit of time. It does not mean that nothing will happen before 68 days.

If they (makers) want a certificate on time, it is advisable that they take this much time in consideration," the source said. The CBFC had initially returned the application to the makers of "Padmavati", saying it was incomplete. The makers have re-applied.

The source said: "We have followed the normal process. Once the application comes to us, we scrutinise it. In this case, it was incomplete so we returned it. There was no disclaimer (that it is a work of fiction)... which is required for a film like this."

"If the application is proper, we give them a date for the screening. We have an examining committee which will see the film. We will also have historical experts (for the screening of the film)... We are just following the procedure," the source added.

When asked if the new application has been scrutinised, the source at the CBFC said, "No, it takes time as we have other films (to certify) as well and 'Padmavati' is just one of them. We have a limited staff, we can't just dump everything aside and concentrate on this. It will take the normal time."

PTI