As protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed Padmavati intensified over the alleged “distortion of history”, producer Viacom18 Motion Pictures on Sunday announced it had “voluntarily deferred the release date of the film” from December 1. The studio did not say when the historical drama, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, will be released.
Following the announcement, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, the caste group leading the protests against the film, withdrew its call for a Bharat bandh on December 1, but also rejected the studio’s announcement as an “attempt to fool people”.
In Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said he would not allow the film to be released in the state until all controversial portions had been deleted. The UP government had earlier conveyed to the union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting that “public anger” over the “script” and “distorted historical facts” in the film could have an “adverse effect” on the law-and-order situation in the state.