Lucknow: In a shocking statement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone were equally responsible for the protests and the threats coming in from fringe outfits against the movie Padmavati.
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“Nobody has the right to take law into their own hands, be it Sanjay Leela Bhansali or anybody is. And I feel that if those giving death threats are guilty, then Bhansali is also guilty of hurting people’s sentiments,” Adityanath told Times Now.
He added that action will be taken against both the fringe and the filmmakers.
Legitimising the protests by the fringe groups, chief ministers of Punjab and Madhya Pradesh on Monday declared that they would not allow the movie that “distorts history” to release in their states.
CBFC Chief Prasoon Joshi is trying to resolve Padmavati issue through 'dialogue
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected another plea demanding a stay on the release of the film, stating, "We cannot interfere with CBFC's work," and stated that the Censor Board should be allowed to do its job.
Even though the producers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati have deferred the release date “voluntarily”, the controversy surrounding the Deepika Padukone-starrer refuses to die down.
The controversy over the movie had taken an ugly turn after members of the Rajput Karni Sena, a fringe outfit in Rajasthan, threatened to “cut off Padukone’s nose and behead Bhansali” if the film released.
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The Karni Sena alleges that the film, based on the legend of Rani Padmini or Padmavati, the queen of Chittorgarh, compromises on the honour of the Rajput queen.
Padmavati, which was slated to release on December 1, co-stars Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.