Padmavati row: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi to meet Parliamentary Panel

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi are expected to meet members of the Parliamentary Panel today over controversial film Padmavati.

New Delhi: In view of strong protests against yet-to-be-released film Padmavati, which is mired in a bitter controversy over alleged distortion of historical facts, a Parliamentary Panel has summoned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi.

According to reports, the two are expected to meet members of the Parliamentary Panel today.

Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, Parliament's 30-member Standing Committee on Information Technology had decided to intervene into the controversy over the release of Rs 150-crore film Padmavati and sought clarifications from its makers and the CBFC officials.

"The panel has asked Bhansali and Joshi to appear before it and present their views on the movie. They can present their case before the panel. The members have also decided to call the producers of the movie," chairman of the panel Anurag Thakur was quoted as saying by PTI.

Importantly, actors Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar, who are members of Parliament, are also part of the panel which will examine the issues relating to the movie.

The decision to summon the makers of the film and the CBFC officials was taken keeping in mind the vociferous protests by the right-wing Rajput groups and several politicians who have accused Bhansali of showing the 14th century Rajput Queen Padmavati in a bad light.

Led by Sri Rajput Karni Sena, the protesters allege that the makers of Padmavati had distorted history by filming a romantic dream sequence between the Rajput queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji – a charge repeatedly rejected by Bhansali. 

Meanwhile, the makers of “Padmavati” have also submitted a fresh application for a 3D version of the controversial film, which has been awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), PTI reported.

Both Bhansali and Viacom 18 – the producer of the film – said that they had submitted a new application yesterday to the CBFC. The period drama was shot in 2D, but the filmmakers decided to convert it to 3D after positive feedback on the 3D trailer, it was reported.

The Supreme Court recently took a strong exception to statements made by persons holding high offices against the film, saying the remarks were tantamount to pre-judging the movie yet to be certified by the censor board. 

The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the life of Rajput queen Padmini.

As allegations of distorting history in the film triggered protests in various states, the makers of the movie have deferred its release date. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, this year.

The Karni Sena, a fringe group, as well as the BJP have been critical of the film and a number of BJP ruled states have already banned it.