Padmavati: Vidya Balan says those protesting against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'are not above CBFC'

Vidya Balan, in the thick of promoting her upcoming film Tumhari Sulu, tried not to get involved in the ongoing controversy regarding Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama  Padmavati since she was not aware of the chain of events. [caption id=“attachment_4122117” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  File image of Vidya Balan[/caption] But now, in an interview to Times Now, Balan said that the protesters should not raise their voice against the film’s content till they have actually watched it its entirety. She also asserted her stance as a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), saying that the fringe forces are not “above the CBFC.” Padmavati has been dragged into a spate of controversies from the very beginning. The period drama featuring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has confronted strong protests from various groups, including Shree Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering historical facts. Now, Telangana Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Raja Singh and Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha have also jumped onto the protest bandwagon, accusing the film of misappropriating the Kshatriya community.   In a statement, Suersh Mishra, state president of Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha said that they will not tolerate distortion of historical facts at any cost.   Rani Padmini or Padmavati was believed to be the queen of Chittorgarh, and her existence itself has been questioned for several centuries. The first time Rani Padmini’s name surfaced in history was in a work of fiction, Padmavati, by a Sufi poet called Malik Muhammad Jayasi. Padmavati also stars Jim Sarbh and Aditi Rao Hydari. It is co-produced by Viacom 18 Pictures and Bhansali Productions. It is slated to release on 1 December. (Also read — Padmavati: Minister warns of action against those disturbing law and order during film's release)