Padmaavat hits screens amid protests as curious viewers flock movie halls; four states may draw Supreme Court ire for disobeying order

A fringe outfit, Kshatriya Mahasabha, on Thursday announced a Rs 51 lakh bounty on Padmaavat director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s head. The same organisation had said on Wednesday that it would give Rs 1 crore to anyone who would chop ears and nose of Deepika Padukone, who plays queen Padmavati in the movie.

Kshatriya community will contribute & give the person a reward of Rs 1 Crore who chops off Deepika Padukone's ears and nose: Gajendra Singh, President Kshatriya Mahasabha (24.1.2018) #Padmaavat pic.twitter.com/OP9R4EmaG1

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 25, 2018

The outfit’s vice-president Thakur Diwakar Singh Rajput said in Mathura “the Kshatriya samaj (society) would give Rs 51 lakh reward on a silver plate to anyone who would bring Bhansali’s head.” While requesting the Indian government and the president that Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra be removed, he questioned “under what allurements the decision was taken to allow the release the movie.” “If our samaj can protect the nation facing -43 degrees temperature in the army, can we not stop Bhansali’s movie? If Kshatriya’s history is removed from Hindustan, then the word Hindustan itself is gone,” he said passionately. While president of the Multiplex Association of India had announced on Wednesday that they would not play the movie in four states, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, constant threats and fear of violence forced many movie hall owners in other states as well to skip screening the film. The PVR in Gurugram’s Ambience Mall also had to cancel screening of the movie. [caption id=“attachment_4320141” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Security personnel guard outside a cinema house after release of the film Padmaavat in the walled city of Delhi on Thursday. PTI[/caption] Meanwhile, a petition for initiation of contempt of court proceedings has been filed in the Supreme Court by Tehseen Poonawalla against the governments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for not cracking down upon Karni Sena’s “violent hooliganism” and for alleged “non-cooperation in the prevention of an inhospitable environment for creative arts to be expressed.” The petition will be heard on Monday. While section 144, prohibiting assembly of more than four people, was imposed in Gurgaon and Sonepat, Haryana DGP BS Sandhu maintained that cinema owners willing to screen Padmaavat in their theatres could approach the concerned deputy commissioner and complete police protection would be ensured. Around 31 persons were arrested in the state and four FIRs were registered. In Uttar Pradesh, a multiplex was vandalised in Pilkuhwa locality in Hapur district for screening the movie. Mirzapur police detained one person for allegedly hurling a petrol bomb at a cinema hall on Wednesday night. In Sitapur, the owner of SCM cinemas was thrashed by a mob. Bajrang Dal members burnt the effigy of Bhansali in Ferozabad and raised slogans of “Jai Shree Ram.” [caption id=“attachment_4320121” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Posters being removed from cinema hall in Mirzapur to avoid backlash from fringe elements. Saurabh Sharma Team 101reporters[/caption] Though Padmaavat, the epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi on which the movie is based, remains a work of fiction, agitated protesters screamed hai-hai (down, down!) against Bhansali for “disrespecting Rani Ma Padmavati”. Around six people who tried to immolate themselves in front of IP Mall in Varanasi were detained by the police. Meanwhile, those who watched the movie questioned the outrage around it. M Faraz Ahmad, a 28-year-old schoolteacher and resident of Lucknow, saw the movie on Thursday and said “those who are protesting against the movie should watch it once and then they will definitely praise the movie.” Simran Malhotra, a resident of Agra, said this was the best Bhansali movie she has seen. “It will make sure you stick to your seats.” (Suarabh Sharma from Lucknow and Sat Singh from Rohtak have contributed to this story. Both are members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)