Padmavati Cleared for Release in UK, Producers Will Not Go Ahead Now

Amid the ongoing uproar over Padmavati, the British Board of Film Classification on Thursday cleared the conflict-ridden Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film for a scheduled release on December 1.

"PADMAVATI (12A) moderate violence, injury detail," read a tweet from BBFC's verified account.

BBFC has certified the film as 12A and categorized it as a "feature" in "drama" genre and has said that there's "moderate violence, injury detail" in the film.

Meanwhile, sources close to filmmakers reveal that there's no plan to release the film as of now- not in UK, not in India. "If we decide to release, we will let you know. There's no plan of releasing the film in UK," said the sources.

Back home, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi said CBFC has to follow certain guidelines and it can’t simply give a certificate to a film just because it has submitted the application form. Joshi said CBFC also wants to take a “balanced decision" about the Deepika Padukone-starrer but it should be given enough time to do that.

"It can take time because you have to understand that there are committees involved. CBFC has to take a neutral decision. So it can take 68 days. Generally, films take less than that but here the case is that is CBFC to be blamed that people are on streets to protest? If makers go ahead and show the film to media people, has that been done by CBFC? But you are expecting CBFC to take a well thought out decision. How is that possible? You are not even giving it space and the time," Joshi said on the sidelines of IFFI.

The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, has been mired in controversies since its shooting began earlier this year. Bhansali was roughed up by the members of Rajput Karni Sena in Rajasthan. When the first poster of the film released, a storm kicked up as several Rajput groups accused Bhansali of "distorting" historical facts under the guise of freedom of expression. Following ban demands, the makers of Padmavati "voluntarily" deferred its December 1 release.