the goan I network
PANAJI
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the decision to release the controversial film ‘Padmavati' in Goa will be taken after it is granted certification from the Central Board of Film Certification.
He was reacting after Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), handed over a memorandum to him requesting he prohibit the release of the Hindi film Padmavati, which has sparked controversy in various parts of the country.
"First of all, they have mentioned about the wrong portrayal of Rani Padmavati. The censor board is already looking into it, so I hope they take that into consideration. The other issue is regarding the law and order problem arising out of this controversy which Goa cannot afford in this tourist season. Being a tourist state, we have to be peaceful. So we will look into both aspects of it.
"As of now, the movie has not been granted censor certificate. We will take a call only after it is granted by taking all aspects into consideration," said the Chief Minister.
When asked about his opinion on the film, he said, "I will not get into what actually is there in the film. There is a Censor Board to look after that aspect. Personally, I am of the opinion that history should be portrayed correctly. If it is wrongly portrayed, it can hurt the sentiments of the people."
The memorandum submitted by the Mahila Morcha stated: "The film distorts history and wrongly links adored queen Padmavati with Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji who is an aggressor. It has been a habit of filmmakers to distort icons and traditions in the guise of creativity. The history has depicted Padmavati as having committed Jauhar to escape dishonour. Large section of Indians adore queen Padmavati for her valour and chivalry."
Mahila Morcha also pointed out that Goa is a peaceful state and a number of tourists from all over the country visit the State during the period from December to May.
"The release of this controversial film is likely to hurt the sentiments of a large section of society creating unrest in peaceful Goa. The sentiments of women have also been hurt by the wrong portrayal of Queen Padmavati and any association with Khilji is unacceptable" read the memorandum while requesting the Chief Minister to prohibit the release and screening of the film to maintain peace and harmony in the state.
