Padmaavat: Deepika Padukone's Ghoomar Changes Go Viral

New Delhi: Padmaavat makers have released a new version of their film's song Ghoomar, in which Deepika Padukone's midriff has been covered through special effects and the portion between her ghaghra-choli has now been covered with a computerised cloth. Covering the midriff of Deepika in Ghoomar song was one of the modifications that the Censor Board had reportedly asked from the makers of the film and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Of covering Deepika's midriff in the song, a source present at the screening of the film said, "The CBFC's Examining Committee asked the film's producers - the director was not present during the censor screening - to remove the shots where her stomach was visible. However such editing would have disturbed the smooth choreographic flow of the elegant dance number. The director preferred to conceal Deepika's belly through computer graphics," reports The Quint.

The new version of the Ghoomar song has been shared on YouTube and has almost received over 90 million views.

Watch the new version of Ghoomar here.
 

Now watch the older version, in which Deepika's midriff isn't covered.
 

Protests against Padmaavat, which was earlier titled Padmavati piled up when the Ghoomar song was criticised, saying that Rajput queens never danced before anybody. The fact that this is a film and, by definition, fiction seems to have escaped a staggeringly large number of people - most of them from Rajput groups. Heena Singh Judeo, daughter-in-law of Dilip Singh Judeo of Chhattisgarh's former royal family, told news agency IANS: "History has witnessed that none of the Rajput maharanis has ever danced in front of anyone, and they cannot play with history."

Padmaavat is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and based on the legend of Rani Padmini of Chittor who is believed to have committed jauhar to escape Emperor Alauddin Khilji. Certain groups, belonging mainly to Rajasthan, claim they are concerned that the film wrongly depicts a romance between Padmini and Khilji. Mr Bhansali has repeatedly denied that it does.

Padmaavat, also starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, was cleared for release by the Censor Board earlier this month along with five modifications. The release of the film was deferred following protests from several Rajput outfits, who objected to the movie alleging that Bhansali has distorted history. On Thursday, lifting the ban on Padmaavat, the Supreme Court said: "When Bandit Queen can be released, why not this movie?" However, the Karni Sena continues to protest even after the apex court's verdict.

Akshay Kumar's PadMan was earlier slated to release with Padmaavat on January 25 but Akshay revealed that PadMan was being moved at the request of Mr Bhansali, whose film has weathered months of violent protests.

"He has gone through a lot. It is essential for them to release the film at this time, their stakes are higher than mine," Akshay said about the Padmaavat director, calling him "a dear friend."

"I will be grateful to him for a lifetime. This is how we stand with each other," Sanjay Leela Bhansali said.

Akshay's PadMan will now release on February 9 while Padmaavat will hit the screens on January 25.