
Indore: Suspense prevailed over the
release of "Padmaavat" in the city tomorrow, although police
have assured security to the cinema halls screening the
controversial film.
Film distributors and theatre owners in Indore had
yesterday agreed to screen the film after the state government
assured to provide adequate security cover.
However, it is no yet clear how many cinema halls or
multiplexes will screen the movie here or elsewhere in the
state tomorrow.
Instead of the posters of "Padamaavat", those of
Akshay Kumar-starrer film "Padman", which is scheduled to
release on February 9, are visible across the city.
Theatre owners in Madhya Pradesh had last month
decided not to screen filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period
drama starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer
Singh following large-scale protests and bandhs in several
places.
Director General of Police, Indore Range, H C Mishra
told reporters that it was now up to the cinema halls owners
to release the movie or not.
"We will provide adequate security cover at the cinema
halls that screen the movie," he assured.
"We have already assured the film distributors and
cinema hall owners that law and order will be maintained
during the release of "Padmaavat"," he added.
An office-bearer of central circuit cine association
said, "If everything goes well, "Padmaavat" would be released
in multiplexes tomorrow."
Secretary of Bhopal Cinema Association, Azizuddin, had
yesterday said that within three hours of the release of the
film in Indore, it would be screened in the state capital.
Of the 361 cinema halls across Madhya Pradesh, owners
of 200 theatres are eagerly waiting to screen the movie, he
had said.
On January 23, two days before the nationwide release
of "Padmaavat", the Supreme Court had refused to modify its
earlier order, which had cleared the decks for its screening.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had petitioned the apex court to
modify its order and stop the release of the movie.
Meanwhile, Rajput organisation Karni Sena, which had
spearheaded the protests against Padmaavat, today reaffirmed
its opposition to the screening of the film. The organisation
said it would stage peaceful protests against its release in
Madhya Pradesh.
"As the film has portrayed the history in a distorted
manner, we will continue to oppose," Raghu Parmar, state
in-charge of Karni Sena, said.
"We are going to stand outside the cinema halls and
request the people not to watch the movie," he added.
The film is based on the 13th century battle between
Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of
Delhi.
PTI