Padmavat NOT to release in Rajasthan; CM Raje says 'Will not allow defamation of Rani Padmini's honor'

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming directorial Padmavati, now called Padmavat, has been raking in controversy since its inception. And now the movie is back in the headlines as Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has stated that the Bhansali movie will not be released in the state.

According to the media reports, Padmavat is slated to release on January 25. However, Raje has stated that given the sentiments of the people, the movie is forbidden to be screened in Rajasthan as she cannot allow defamation of Rani Padmini's honor.

She also released a statement saying, "Rani Padmini's sacrifice is a matter of honour and pride for the state and hence Rani Padmini is not just a chapter in history but our dignity. We will not allow defamation of her honour."

On the other hand, the Rajput Karni Sena has also threatened to protest with batons and petrol against the release of the movie.

Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena told the media, "Let me make it loud and clear that India will burn if the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), producers or cinema hall owners release the film on January 25. We will not tolerate this attempt of defaming our mother Rani Padmavati."

"We will go to the cinema halls wherever the film is screened with lathis and petrol, and term them phool (flower) and Gangajal before using them at cinema halls. Having set the cinema halls on fire, we will show them placards with disclaimers saying no one should get offended as we have just offered phool and Gangajal," Gogamadi added.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Padmavat has been facing a hard time getting a release date. In fact, the movie had witnessed several protests from Rajput outfits who have been demanding a ban on the movie.

This was not all. The sets of Padmavat were also vandalised at the time of shooting by several Rajput organisations.

Notably, Padmavat, which stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor in the lead, was earlier scheduled to release on December 1. However, given the controversies and protest, it was pushed to January release.