London / New Delhi: Padmavati has been cleared by the British Board of Film Classification without any cuts, but the producers say they are not planning to release the film without the Indian censor board’s go-ahead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on November 28 a fresh petition for a direction to the producers of film not to release it in the UK. 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 seeking directions that the film is not released abroad on December 1.
A functionary at Viacom 18 said there was no plan to release the film globally without it being cleared 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 The circular was soon withdrawn and a show cause notice issued to the officer who issued it. “Padmavati (12A) moderate violence, injury detail,” stated its website of the British censor board. “All known versions of this work passed uncut,” it said. However, sources at Viacom 18 said they were not planning to release the film anywhere in the world without the CBFC nod.
Fresh plea in Supreme Court against movie
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on November 28 a fresh petition for a direction to the producers of film Padmavati not to release it in the UK or in any other country outside India on December 1. A bench said the petition would be listed on November 28. Petitioner M.L. Sharma said grave damage would be done to social harmony if the movie were allowed to be released outside India also sought criminal prosecution of the filmmakers for allegedly misrepresenting facts that the CBFC cleared the songs and promos.
