THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 24, 2017)

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has cleared Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmavati’ without any cuts there, prompting the Sri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) to declare, on Thursday, that its members would visit the UK to contest the controversial film’s release.

This came even as makers of Padmavati said they would wait for certification by India’s Central Board of Film Certification before screening the film in any part of the World. Viacom’s clarification followed a clearance, without cuts, to Padmavati, awarded to the film by the BBFC on Thursday. Britain’s film certification body has given Padmavati a 12A rating, which means the film must only be viewed by children above the age of 12, or if they are accompanied by an adult.

Viacom sources said they planned not to release the film anywhere in the world without the requisite clearance from the CBFC. “As the film was suppose to release on December 1, there are over 50 countries where this process (of certification) is on,” a source said. According to a PTI report, the BBFC describes the film as a “Hindi language epic drama in which a Sultan leads an invasion to capture a Rajput Queen” with a release date specified as December 1, 2017.

Speaking to TOI on phone, Sri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi said if required, he would go to England to seek the support of various Hindu groups and NRI organizations and contest the movie’s release. He urged NRIs across the world to boycott ‘Padmavati’ and added that a team of SRKS activists would be present in England before the film’s release.

Kalvi said in Hyderabad he had written to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to use “India’s good diplomatic ties with England in this matter”. “The Indian government cannot pass orders to the British government, but to maintain good relations with India, I hope the British government will honour the sentiments of the people,” he said.

The Rajput Samaj of UK, which has already launched a boycott against ‘Padmavati’, said on Thursday it had written to the BBFC to revoke its certification.