Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supported the January 25 release of Bollywood film Padmaavat whose scheduled screening has been stridently opposed by Rajput groups in some states.
Raj
Thackeray-led
Maharashtra
Navnirman
Sena
(MNS)
today
supported
the
January
25
release
of
Bollywood
film
"Padmaavat" whose
scheduled
screening
has
been
stridently
opposed
by
Rajput
groups
in
some
states.
The
MNS
said
the
protesters
should
respect
the
decision
of
the
Supreme
Court
which
has
cleared
the
decks
for
the
release
of
the
13th
Century
period
drama,
directed
by
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali.
Issuing
a
statement,
MNS'
film
wing
working
president
Shalini
Thackeray
said
they
would
not
let
anybody
prohibit
the
release
of
the
movie
in
the
Mumbai
region.
"If
anyone
tries
to
obstruct
the
release
of
'Padmaavat'
in
Mumbai
region,
they
will
have
to
face
the
wrath
of
MNS
workers," Thackeray
said.
"A
movie
is
not
a
historical
document
and
filmmakers
are
bound
to
take
some
liberty
while
making
it.
MNS
had
never
objected
the
content
of
a
movie
but
our
objection
was
on
employing
actors
from
Pakistan,"
the
MNS
leader
said.
Thackeray
said
though
many
organisations
had
opposed
Bollywood
movie
"Bajirao
Mastani" in
the
past,
the
MNS
did
not
obstruct
its
release.
"We
have
taken
a
similar
stand
in
the
case
of
'Padmaavat'
as
well,"
she
stated.
Thackeray
also
took
a
dig
at
the
BJP
over
the
Gujarat
government's
stand
that
the
movie
would
not
be
allowed
to
hit
the
screens
in
the
state,
before
the
supreme
court
stayed
the
ban.
"If
the
movie
is
not
going
to
be
released
in
the
home
state
of
the
prime
minister,
one
can
imagine
the
worse
scenario
of
law
and
order
in
other
parts
of
the
country," she
said.
Protests
have
been
held
by
various
Rajput
groups,
mainly
in
Gujarat,
Madhya
Pradesh,
and
Rajasthan,
opposing
the
screening
of
the
film.
Despite
the
apex
court
upholding
the
freedom
of
expression
in
its
order
to
stay
the
notifications
issued
by
a
couple
of
state
governments
banning
the
movie,
fringe
Rajput
groups
are
still
opposing
its
release.
Many
multiplexes
have
reportedly
refused
to
run
the
movie
fearing
vandalism.
"Padmaavat",
starring
Deepika
Padukone,
Shahid
Kapoor
and
Ranveer
Singh,
is
based
on
the
saga
of
the
13th
Century
battle
between
Maharaja
Ratan
Singh
of
Mewar
and
Sultan
Alauddin
Khilji
of
Delhi.
The
Karni
Sena
has
accused
filmmaker
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
of
projecting
queen
Padmini
of
Chittorgarh
in
bad
light
and
distorting
history.