Though the Central Board Of Film Certification has issued a UA certificate to Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Padmaavat, after the makers implemented a series of changes directed by the board including a minor change in the title, it seems there is yet no end of the road for the film.
Many Indian states, from where Bollywood films earn the majority of their collections, have banned the movie. Dismayed, the makers have now requested the government to intervene and look into the matter.
“It is rather unfortunate that the leadership is banning a film that has been cleared by the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC). The team is now speaking to relevant people in the top brass of the central government, to intervene and allow the film to release. If there are law and order threats, the state governments should use all their might to curb that,” reveals a source.
Padmaavat has been banned in states like Rajasthan, Goa, and Gujarat. Even if the respective state governments decide to lift the ban ahead of the release of the film, theatre owners are concerned about their property and security of staff.
“It is not just about the ban. Theatres cannot afford to risk damage to their property as well as expensive equipment that is placed there. Most multiplexes are located in expensive malls and the risk is not just to the theatres but also to those malls that house these cinemas,” a trade expert says.
Starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, Padmaavat arrives in cinemas on 25th January 2018.