UDAIPUR: Erstwhile royals of Mewar are sticking to their stand over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmavati’ and refuse to accept the movie with the reported alterations and modifications claimed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Two senior members of the erstwhile Mewar dynasty set their differences aside and stood united in agreement over the much-debated issue, warning of dire consequences and social unrest if the movie is released, even with the changes suggested by the board. Arvind Singh Mewar, who was a part of the panel invited to review and recommend CBFC on the film, said that the panellists unanimously expressed resentment to the content and all of them had strongly objected to the certification of the movie. “We’re not against movies based on history, but they need to be historically correct.
There is an urgent need for a law that clearly demarcates the limits in the portrayal of historical characters,” Singh told TOI. “They are clearly not with the Rajputs or the Muslims, so who are they with? Where does their loyalty lie? What they want to show by making such a film is beyond my understanding,” said
Singh, the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty. On Saturday, the CBFC announced its decision to certify ‘Padmavati’ as U/A after five suggested modifications, including the change of the title to ‘Padmavat’. The decision was taken in a meeting in the presence of CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi, and a special panel comprising Arvind Singh Mewar from Udaipur, historian Chandramani Singh and Professor K K Singh of Jaipur University.
Jaipur-based historian Chandramani Singh, however, refused to talk about the special screening, claiming the panellists were bound by a contract. Today’s youth turn to movies and television for education, as they don’t read much, said Singh, adding, “My three-year-old granddaughter too will watch the movie one day and tell me that, ‘Grandpa, Queen Padmavati was like what was shown in the film and unlike how you narrate in your stories’.

How would I convince her then?” Raising concern over the possible outcomes of the release, Singh said, “I don’t know how many cuts or modifications have been made. The panel was clearly against the release and the moviemakers and the board are well aware of the unrest taking place across the country. Despite all this, if they decide to go ahead with the release, they should be ready to face the consequences, which I cannot predict at this stage.”

Source : timesofindia