ANew Delhi, Jan 17: The producers of upcoming Bollywood movie Padmaavat have moved the Supreme Court of India to challenge the ban imposed on the film by the four states - Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
Chief Justice of India Deepak Misra has agreed to hear the plea of the Padmaavat producers. The hearing would be held on Thursday, with the CJI presiding over the bench.
The movie, directed by award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, entered into a controversy over its depiction of Padmavati, the revered 14th century socio-religious figure of the Rajput community.
The movie, as per reports, is based upon the poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540 CE.
Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a socio-political outfit, raised objections over the movie, demanding a nationwide ban on its release.
Due to the protests organised by Karni Sena against the film, its release was deferred from the earlier scheduled date of December 1. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) examined the movie again and reportedly suggested various cuts to it.
The title of the film was changed from Padmavati to Padmaavat, in what is being seen as a move to placate the agitating Karni Sena. However, the group has demanded further amendments to the film, including a change in the name of all characters.
"We have a very clear stand since day one that we want this film to be banned. The committee made by the CBFC watched the movie and said the movie was vulgar and the facts were distorted. The film is made just to earn money. Along with the name of the movie, the characters names should also be changed," Karni Sena member Mahipal Singh Makrana said.
The film is set to release on January 25 in theatres across the nation, except for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday issued a contempt notice to CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi for not responding to the plea filed against Padmaavat over the alleged promotion of sati by the film. Joshi has been provided a three-week time period to respond.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2018 11:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).