NEW DELHI: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama “Padmaavat” was on Wednesday cleared for release in Pakistan, said the censor board’s top official.
“‘Padmaavat’ has been declared fit for public exhibition in the cinema houses without any excision by Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC),” Mobashir Hasan told via social media from Islamabad. The film has been given ‘U’ certification.
According to some distributors in Pakistan, there were apprehensions over the movie given the negative portrayal of Alauddin Khilji.
Asked about it, Mr Hasan said: “CBFC isn’t biased in arts, creativity and healthy entertainment.”
He said that for the film’s certification, the CBFC co-opted Professor Waqar Ali Shah, Chairman, Department of History, Quaid-e-Azam University as per rules.
“A co-opted member has no voting rights. They are for expert opinion,” Hasan explained.
“Padmaavat” is set for a worldwide release on Thursday.
In India, the film’s makers have had a long struggle in getting it to theatres as some Rajput outfits have been up against its release over alleged historical inaccuracies.
Shri Rajput Karni Sena activists have been staging violent protests across some parts of the country to stop the film’s release.
Originally titled “Padmavati”, the movie’s makers were asked to make five modifications — including title change, addition of two disclaimers, and some alterations in a song — before it got a U/A certificate.
