Bollywood News and Stories From India

According to the film’s distributor in Sri Lanka, the island country’s Prime Minister wants to watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, to see what the fuss is about. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (erstwhile Padmavati) has been in news for the longest time now. It all started with Rajput Karni Sena vandalising the set of the film, alleging that the film distorting history leading to protest and even threatening physical harm to actor Deepika Padukone. As per latest reports, after Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s proposed cuts and a change of title, the film, also starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is all set to hit screens on January 25. Interestingly, the film releases on the same day in Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of the country, Ranil Wickremesing, has expressed his desire to watch the film. His office has requested the Sri Lankan censor board for a special screening of Padmaavat. As per distributor Kalapi Nagada of Cinekorn Entertainment, th...

Security was beefed up outside the CBFC office. A few protestors were taken away by the police, but released after a few hours. Activists of the Shree Rajput Karni Sena on Friday gathered outside the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office here on Friday to protest against the coming release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. Security was beefed up outside the CBFC office. A few protestors were taken away by the police, but released after a few hours. Members of the Rajput outfit, under the leadership of its President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, gathered outside the CBFC office to express dissent over the censor board’s decision to allow the release of the controversial movie. Some of them were seen holding aloft the movie’s poster with a red mark denoting a cross on it. Jeevan Singh Solanki, Karni Sena’s Maharashtra state Secretary, told IANS: “We will not let the film release in the country under any circumstances. Some states have already agreed with us an...

Padmavat has been cleared for release; its attempted censorship and ban comes from non-state actors and Vasundhara Raje’s decision to block its release in Rajasthan out of respect to the ‘sentiments of the people’ is meek acquiescence to these non-state actors I’m not a fan of advocating mass suicide by women as a method of safeguarding some male notion of honour, but I am going to watch Padmavat. I am not a fan of Sanjay Leela Bhansali either, and yet, watching his latest movie is the only way I can think of that I as an individual citizen can mark both my protest and my support: Support for the right to make films, write books and voice opinions without being brow-beaten into submission and protest against the craven abdication of state to such bullying. Even by the standards of our perennially outraged nation, the sustained protest over imagined offences in a film as yet unseen about a character whose historical authenticity is not established is unprecedented. ...

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film Padmaavat, earlier called Padmavati, will not release in the state on January 25. The film, mired in controversy over its plot line, has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification, which has asked its makers to change the title and suggested other modifications. The period romance that features Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in lead roles was earlier scheduled to be released on December 1. Earlier, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje said that the movie would not be released in the state, honouring the sentiments of the people of the state.

Padmavati became Padmavat and is now Padmaavat:  Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama has made a fresh changes in its title. From Padmavati, the film because Padmavat the censor board's reported insistence, It has now added an extra 'a' in the title. Padmavati became Padmavat and is now Padmaavat. The movie's official page on Twitter confirms this change. After five modifications, the film was cleared by the censors which granted it an 'U/A' certificate . The buzz is that Padmaavat will release on January 25 along with Akshay Kumar's Padman, but neither its producers nor its director have confirmed the release date.

Bhansali's 'Padmavati' officially gets renamed 'Padmaavat' : Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati' has finally been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and as per the modifications that were recemmended by the board, the producers have officially changed the title of the Ranveer-Deepika starrer to 'Padmaavat'. CBFC recommended five modifications in the flick to avoid more controversy, the change of the movie-title being one of them. Apart from this, changes have been ordered in the song 'Ghoomar' to make the depiction 'befitting' the character being portrayed. The other big modification was to change the incorrect or misleading references to historical places. This is not the first time a movie's title has been a figure of controversy. In 2015, 'Udta Punjab' got into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and had to approach the Appellate Tribunal...

Padmavat: Clearance or no clearance, some states won’t screen film Padmavat is expected to release on January 25. Rajasthan government has refused to screen the film in the state despite CBFC clearance. Protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmavat, based on an epic poem on Rajput queen Padmini – have been revived with the BJP-ruled Rajasthan government announcing that the film will not be screened in the state. Other states including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which had indicated that the film will not be allowed to be released in November -- are yet to announce their decision in the wake of the film getting CBFC’s nod. The Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh-starrer is expected to release on January 25, according to trade sources. The Central Board of Film Certification had cleared the film last week with five modifications, including the title change from   Padmavati to Padmavat , but “no cuts”. The board has also suggested mod...

A Rajput group protesting against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'Padmavati', retitled 'Padmavat', today threatened that it will impose a "public curfew" in theatres if the controversial movie is released. The Rajput Karni Sena reiterated its demand for a "complete ban" on the film. Its leader Lokendra Singh Kalvi alleged that history was being tinkered with and there was no room for a compromise with the filmmakers on the issue. The film was previously scheduled to release on Dec 1. But the outfit protested against the film's release in Rajasthan and other parts of the country over the portrayal of queen Padmini in it. The group alleged the movie "distorted" history even though historians are divide on whether the queen actually existed. The filmmakers, too, have denied the allegations. The film seems set for a January 25 release, according to sources in Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the production house behind ...

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, now changed to Padmavat, has finally got a release date. The Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor starrer will clash with Padman and release on January 25. Padmavat, which was earlier known as Padmavati, will finally now release on January 25, and will clash with Akshay Kumar starrer PadMan. Padmavat was scheduled to release on December 1, 2017 but the film landed into a controversy with a group named Rajput Karni Sena raising objections to the portrayal of the queen in the film. Various political and religious groups later joined the protests objecting to the film’s content saying it tarnished the image of the Rajput culture. Taran Adarsh has confirmed the release date on Twitter saying, “#Padmavat to release on 25 Jan 2018… #RepublicDayWeekend”. Padmavat, as it is now being called, was screened for a special bench of historians who suggested five modifications which included the change in the title from Padmavati t...

The CBFC source says that all of this is a time-consuming exercise. The Padmavati team, which was hoping to get clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after the Gujarat elections, is in for some disappointment. Sources at the CBFC say that there are no plans of viewing Padmavati this year. Says an important source, “There is no way Padmavati can be certified before January. December is almost over. We have not scheduled the film. There are at least 40 feature films in different languages, waiting in the queue before Padmavati.” The source further informs us that the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie has “unnecessarily complicated its case” with an ambiguous disclaimer in its application for certification. Adds the source, “We now have to appoint a panel of historians to view the film, because according to the disclaimer, it’s partially based on historical facts. The content will now have to be scrutinised for authenticity.” The CBFC source says th...

Padmavati Controversy Causes "Emotionally Affected" Deepika Padukone To Push Vishal Bhardwaj's Next Film Shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan starrer has been deferred amidst concerns surrounding Padmavati's release. mid-day has learnt that the cast and crew has been asked to reschedule the dates that they had allotted for the January 2018 shooting leg. Sources say Padukone is "emotionally affected" by the political climate that has led to her receiving death threats. Bhardwaj's publicist confirms that his production, which is being helmed by Honey Trehan, will now kick-off in March. A source tells mid-day, "Deepika wishes to take a break before returning to the set. She wants to be mentally prepared for the film." Further, a fair share of time will also be spent on training Padukone to wield and shoot a gun, the source adds. "To add to the delay, Bhardwaj has decided to revisit the script....

With multiple death threats issued against Padmavati actress Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film fraternity stands united and asks, 'Will violence give an answer?' Padmavati protests refuses to die down even after repeated criticism by the film fraternity, which believes that resorting to violence and banning a film is not the solution to resolve an issue in a democratic country. Rajput outfits (one of which is called Karni Sena) claim that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film distorts historical facts, which demean Rani Padmini. Mr Bhansali was slapped and manhandled by Karni Sena goons while he was filming in Jaipur and now they have extended to death threats for the director and the film's lead actress Deepika Padukone. The Karni Sena has already threatened to cut off her nose and a BJP leader has put a price on her head. Celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar recently condemned the threats issued against team Padmav...

Nihalani, who presented the movie Julie 2 recently, also spoke on issues such as nepotism and the casting couch. He said nepotism is very much prevalent in Bollywood. Former censor board chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani says the film industry needs to be united in its fight to avoid becoming a victim of politics. Expressing sympathy for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his movie Padmavati, Nihalani said, “Full sympathy to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and full concern for the industry because it is not just about Padmavati. Any movie can face this kind of a trap of the politicians, politics and different parties. So, I think it is a very sad thing and the industry should combine and decide. Today it is Padmavati, tomorrow any movie can become like this, so we should not be a victim of politics.” Nihalani spoke at the unveiling of the Society magazine cover -- which features him -- on Wednesday. He also blamed the “lack of unity” in the film industry for the lack of solutions when contr...

According to the police, a group of about 20 people stormed the film set between 1 am and 2 am on Wednesday ON A day when the Padmavati film set was vandalised in Kolhapur, Rajasthan’s Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi said that the film would be screened before a committee of the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (SRRKS) “and other knowledgeable members of society” and their “objections would be invited” before its release in the state. The minister met a delegation of leaders from the SRRKS, Rashtriya Brahman Mahasangh and Rajasthan Vaishya Mahasabha at his residence on Wednesday. “The delegation has been assured that we have put a hold on the shooting of the film in the state. And even if it is released in the state, it will be screened before members of SRRKS and other knowledgeable members of society, from whom we will invite objections to the movie,” the minister’s department quoted him as saying. “The government’s stand is that the filmmakers wo...

The costumes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh starrer Padmavati were torched by a mob on the sets of the movie in Kolhapur on Tuesday night. Designer duo Rimple and Harpreet Narula are in a state of shock after the costumes of their upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed Padmavati, on which they worked on for months, were torched on the sets of the movie in Kolhapur. The shooting of the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh starrer was underway at Mhasai Pathar, when a group of around 15-20 people came to the set in the wee hours and torched the costumes and the animal feed kept there. Calling the incident “unfortunate”, Rimple says both she and Harpreet are heart-broken as they could never imagine something like this could happen. “Something so unfortunate has happened because of illiteracy in our country. There is so much hard work that was put into making the clothes. We will work day and night and make up for the damages, but morally...

Sets of Padmavati were attacked and set on fire in Kolhapur on Tuesday. CEO of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Productions, Shobha Sant, has said a complaint will be filed soon in the case. Months after director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked on the sets of Padmavati in Jaipur, the film’s sets were vandalised and set on fire in Kolhapur on Tuesday night in a fresh case of vandalism. The film’s sets were attacked between 1 and 2 am on Wednesday and according to reports, animals were present on Padmavati sets at the time of the incident and a horse is said to be badly injured. None of the film’s cast or crew was there at Kolhapur’s Masai plateau on Tuesday night where the sets have been erected. About 20 to 30 people reached the sets of the film armed with petrol bombs, stones and lathis. They allegedly fought off the bodyguards and bouncers who were present at the sets. The security had earlier been beefed up at the sets in the light of Jaipur incident. Before setting the venue on fire...

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati' is one film that everyone is looking forward to in 2017. With a star cast like Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor and a celebrated filmmaker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the helm, everyone has high expectations from this period drama. Shahid Kapoor yesterday posted a sunkissed selfie on his Instagram saying that he has wrapped up the first schedule of the film and now Ranveer Singh has said that he'll resume shooting for 'Padmavati' in January 2017. The 'Befikre' actor was asked at the Mumbai airport about resuming the shoot for the film to which he said, "It is a large-scale production, not a small film and I will resume the shoot for 'Padmavati' in January".

Everything related to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati creates headlines and the latest update is the wrap up of Shahid Kapoor’s first schedule! The 35-year-old, who plays the Rajput ruler Raja Ratan Singh, husband of queen Padmini (Deepika Padukone), has been constantly updating his fans with sneak peeks of his character on his social media. The Udta Punjab actor took to his Instagram account to share another piece of information with a selfie. On a related note, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film stars Shahid, Deepika and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles.

From enacting a street smart college guy to a Peshwa warrior, actor Ranveer Singh has played diverse characters in his career but he considers the role in forthcoming film Padmavati as his toughest so far. The period drama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will feature Ranveer as Alauddin Khilji, the medieval-era Delhi ruler, who fell in love with queen Padmavati. The film also features Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh, the Rajput ruler and husband of Padmavati (enacted by Deepika Padukone). Ranveer, whose latest film Befikre just released, says it is extremely difficult to fit into the shoes of his role in Padmavati. “It’s very difficult. It’s physically, emotionally, mentally very draining. It’s my biggest challenge yet as an actor. I prepared very hard for it, almost a month. We have started shooting and Bhansali is pretty happy with the way things have shaped up,” Ranveer told PTI in an interview. The 31-year-old actor hopes to do justice to the role, which he consider...