Padmavati controversy: Cabinet panel seeks report from Smriti Irani's ministry, censor board

New Delhi: The controversy over period drama Padmavati on Wednesday reached the portals of Parliament as a house panel sought a report on the film from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the censor board. The matter was taken up for consideration by the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions after two BJP MPs, CP Joshi and Om Birla, from Rajasthan filed a plea before it regarding objectionable content in the movie. When contacted, Joshi (who is also a member of the panel) told PTI that the movie should be shown to historians and the descendants of the erstwhile royal families, who trace their lineage to Padmavati, before its release. [caption id=“attachment_4223057” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Deepika Padukone in a still from Padmavati[/caption] “The panel has referred the matter to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the censor board. It has also asked them to submit a report before 30 November,” senior BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who heads the panel, said. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh is based on Rajput queen, Padmavati. Amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji’s characters, various Rajput and other groups have been protesting against the film, alleging it “distorts” history and hurts the sentiments of the people. Historians are, however, divided on whether Queen Padmavati even existed. Chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh — all BJP ruled states — and Punjab, ruled by the Congress, have already opposed the release of the movie. Following this severe opposition, the makers of the movie deferred its release date. The film was scheduled to release on 1 December, this year.