‘Padmaavat’ screening still a no-go

Not in Malaysia: A file photo showing Deepika posing for a photo during a promotional event for ‘Padmaavat’ in Mumbai, India.

PETALING JAYA: The local distributor for banned Bollywood film Padmaavat has confirmed that its appeal to the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF) has been rejected.

“Unfortunately, the film is still banned. LPF reviewed the film today and decided to uphold the ban,” said Antenna Entertainments managing director Liza Anand.

According to Liza, LPF has stated that the film, depicting the story of Queen Padmavati (played by Deepika Padukone), has elements that touch on Muslim sensitivities – in particular, the villainous portrayal of Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh).

In the film, Alauddin is said to be so taken by Padmavati’s beauty that he wages war against her husband, another ruler, in order to win her over.

“I don’t think having (Alauddin) as a bad person in a film should be an issue. The film does not reflect any situation in Malaysia. I feel that the reason given is unjustified,” Liza added.

Padmaavat was scheduled for release in over 90 cinemas nationwide on Jan 25.

However, over the weekend, Antenna Entertainments an­nounced, via its Facebook page that the film’s release had to be postponed.

On Monday, LPF confirmed that it has banned the film.

Fans have expressed their dismay on the distributor’s FB page.

Aruun Kumarr Athikumanan said: “Do they even understand the content of the film? We will watch it in Singapore.”

Mohd Asri Jusoh echoed the sentiment, saying: “No more hope for Padmaavat in Malaysia. Anyone nak buat trip ramai2 tengok kat Singapore CNY ni?” (Does anyone want to join a group excursion to watch it in Singapore this CNY?)

Liza said her company spent up to US$30,000 (RM116,961) on marketing Padmaavat in Malaysia.

She estimated that the film would have raked in RM5mil at the local box office.

“It’s a magnificent film that touches on love and sacrifice. It’s about how far a husband would go to protect his wife. I’m sad that Malaysians can’t watch it here,” she said.

Liza added that she is waiting for LPF to provide her with a full report on the decision to uphold the ban.

“We need to see the report before deciding what to do next. We are open to any suggestions, such as removing certain scenes and making the necessary cuts,” she said.