Karni Sena Finally Agrees That ‘Padmaavat’ Upholds Rajput Valour

Karni Sena does an about-turn after watching ‘Padmaavat’.

Karni Sena activists protest outside a theatre in Patna, Bihar. 

(Photo: PTI)

Padmaavat may be a period drama, a historical magnum opus but the controversies surrounding it would make for a dark satire.

After over a year of massive protests, mobs running amok in different parts of the country and fringe groups going on a rampage, despite assurances from the makers of the film that it does not feature any dream sequence between Khilji and Rani Padmini, the Karni Sena has finally announced that it has decided to withdraw protests and it accepts that the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial glorifies the valour of the Rajputs.

It all began on the sets of the film in Jaipur when Bhansali was assaulted. Deepika Padukone playing the titular role was also at the receiving end of the death threats. Even after the CBFC passed the film with a title change and some modifications, Karni Sena was very aggressive about its rhetoric of banning the film on the grounds of distortion of historical facts and depiction of Rani Padmini in unflattering light.

The film was released on January 25 but many theatre owners in different states were terrorised into submission and not screening the film.

Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena’s Mumbai leader Yogendra Singh Katar confirmed that a few members watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday on the command of organisation’s national President Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi. They then realised that the film, a paean to Rajput honour, glorifies their valour and sacrifice and that every Rajput would be proud after watching the film.