'Padmavati' passes Brit censor test; makers await CBFC nod

Facing massive opposition at home, Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie 'Padmavati' was cleared uncut by the British censors even as the Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to hear a plea against releasing the film abroad on December 1.

A functionary at Viacom18, producers of the movie, said there was no plan to release the film globally without clearance by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The controversy over the period drama raged on with an education officer in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district issuing a circular banning a song from the film from being played in schools.

The circular was soon withdrawn on the orders of Dewas Collector Asheesh Singh and a show cause notice issued to the officer.

In the Supreme Court, a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it would hear on Tuesday, a plea that the makers of 'Padmavati' misrepresented facts about the censor board's approval for releasing songs and the promo.

Advocate M L Sharma, who prayed for an urgent hearing, sought criminal prosecution of the makers of the movie for allegedly misrepresenting facts that the songs and promos were cleared by the CBFC.

The apex court had dismissed his earlier plea to delete certain allegedly objectionable scenes. It had observed that the CBFC had not yet certified the movie and the apex court could not "injunct" a statutory body from doing its duty.

Brit OK

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), meanwhile, passed the film without cuts.

"'Padmavati' (12A) moderate violence, injury detail," stated the official website of the British censor board. "All known versions of this work passed uncut," it said.

The 12A rating means the film cannot be viewed in the UK by a child under 12 years unless accompanied by an adult.

As the film was supposed to be released on December 1, the process (of certification) is on in over 50 countries, Viacom18 sources said.

The lavishly mounted film, starring Deepika Padukone in the title role, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is a joint production by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Bhansali Productions.

'Ghoomar' song

In Dewas, district education officer (DEO) Rajiv Suryavanshi directed all government and private schools not to play the film's song titled 'Ghoomar', during cultural programmes.

"Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena has submitted a request letter in honour of Maa Padmavati. It was requested that Hindu sentiments should not be offended by playing 'Ghoomar' song in the cultural programmes being organised in schools. So, do not use 'Ghoomar' song," read the circular issued on Wednesday.

The 'Ghoomar' song, which features Padukone and Kapoor, was released by the makers of the film recently.

Amid rumours that the film has a romantic dream sequence depicting Rajput Queen Padmini and Allaudin Khilji, historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed. She finds mention in the 16th century epic poem "Padmavat".

Earlier scheduled to arrive in cinema halls on December 1, the release date of the film has now been postponed by the makers.