Padmavati eyes February 2018 release date; more time needed to wrap shooting, post-production

The release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmavati starring Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh has been postponed from 17 November, 2017, according to a  DNA report. The movie will now hit the silver screen in February 2018. [caption id=“attachment_3338716” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sanjay Leela Bhansali. File image.[/caption] “Sanjay Leela Bhansali had a 20 October deadline, which is impossible to meet now. The workers’ strike took away a few important days. Meanwhile, two of the principal actors — Deepika and Shahid — also had free dates, so they took off on vacations. A lot of the shoot is still left. The major chunk may have been shot, but some big action sequences are still left. Ranveer’s portions as the young Alauddin Khilji, too, remain to be shot," said an unverified source, quoted in the same DNA report. The film’s shooting was initially delayed due to the  mob attacks that took place in Jaipur, Rajasthan after protesters claimed that Rani Padmavati (played by Padukone) was essayed in a bad light in Bhansali’s directorial venture. Following that, it was reported that the film’s sets in Kohlapur were set ablaze . There was also the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) worker's strike that followed, which only added to the delay in finishing up the shooting schedule of the movie.  Post-production on the film will also require a considerable amount of time, making it impossible for Bhansali’s magnum opus to see a 2017 release. Anushka Sharma’s Pari which will be released on 9 February, 2018 is the only other major Bollywood release that is slated for that time period as of now, making it a good choice for the makers’ of Padmavati to zero in on.