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Rajasthan Minister Says 'Padmavati' Can Be Released Only After Karni Sena's Approval

This sets a dangerous precedence.
The India Today Group via Getty Images

After the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Padmavati was vandalised yet again on Wednesday in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, Rajasthan's Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi has now said that the movie will be screened before the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena before it is released in the state.

The Indian Express reports the minister's department as saying, "The delegation has been assured that we have put a hold on the shooting of the film in the state. And even if it is released in the state, it will be screened before members of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena and other knowledgeable members of society, from whom we will invite objections to the movie."

Chaturvedi also told the newspaper that the film will get the green signal only after all "objections" have been taken care of.

The attacks on the sets of Bhansali's film, in the past, has raised several questions about the way the government has handle the situation.

The sets of the film was also attacked in Jaipur on January 27, and another mob of goons broke mirrors in the Padmini Palace of the Chittorgarh Fort.

By saying that a special screening will be arranged for the Karni Sena, it is like the government is condoning hooliganism. It sets a precedence that vandalism in the name of culture will be awarded with special screenings, while freedom of expression can take a back seat.

After the attack on his Jaipur set, the Karina Sena team had, in a statement, said team Bhansali had reached a compromise pact with them.

The entire controversy was based on rumours of a dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Allauddin Khilji. Bhansali's team had clarified, "We clarify that there is no dream sequence or any objectionable scene between Rani Padmavati and Allauddin Khilji. We have been carefully researching and making the film... The attack on the shoot and crew was uncalled for and was extremely damaging to the image of the beautiful city of Jaipur."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.