‘Padmavati’ row No shooting for 15 minutes across India tomorrow

Hundreds of people from across the country, including filmmakers and workers, have announced a 16-minute blackout on Sunday to stand in solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film “Padmavati”.

The Indian Films and TV Directors’ Association (IFTDA), along with19 other bodies of the film and television industry from across the country, will stop shooting for 15 minutes to protect the right to the freedom of expression of those in the creative field.

The associations that are going to participate in the protest include the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Western India Cinematographers Association, Screen Writers Association, The Film and Television Producers Guild of India Limited, Association of Voice Artistes, Cine Costume & Make-up Artiste and Hair Dressers Association, Cine Singer Association, Movie Stunt Artistes Association.

The protest call “Main Azaad Hoon?” will take place at Film City of Mumbai, and will start at 3:30 pm on November 26.

All the shooting units in Mumbai will put off lights and no shootings will take place from 4:15 pm to 4:30 pm.

While speaking to the press, filmmaker and IFTDA convenor Ashoke Pandit told PTI that “Through this protest we are trying to say let us know – Are we free people? Are we living in a democratic country?”.

The filmmaker added, “Over 600-700 people from the entire film industry in India from filmmakers to writers, workers, make-up men will come together in support of “Padmavati”.

In support of Bhansali, Pandit said that “if a great filmmaker like Bhansali can be threatened for exercising creative freedom, it can happen to anyone in the fraternity.”

“We are creators of cinema…Art. We are educators, we contribute towards the betterment of the country. There are stars supporting various causes (of the government). We stand by them, whenever there is a need. We are hurt with what is happening with ‘Padmavati’, we are (being) ill-treated, we feel we are living like orphans in this country”, he also added.

 Questioning chief ministers on banning the film in their states, Ashoke Pandit also said that “We are not fighting against any particular person. The judiciary has passed some orders but nothing has been done. How can a chief minister ban a film without even watching it?”

Chief ministers of states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already called for a ban on the film.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, “Padmavati” starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor is under a lot of controversies. Members of the Karni Sena and others are accusing the director of “distorting historical facts”.

The film is based on a character, Queen Padmini, from an epic poem “Padmavat” written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

There is no official written record that Queen Padmini actually existed in Rajasthan.

Wion