Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama Padmaavat will be released on Thursday
Ahead of "
Padmaavat's" release on Thursday after a Supreme Court order, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have petitioned the top court for a review and said that states must be allowed to stop the film on grounds of law and order trouble because of protests against it. The group that has led these protests, the Karni Sena, has also asked the top court to ban the film saying its makers twisted history. All three petitions will be heard tomorrow.
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, along with Gujarat and Haryana, had banned the film amid fierce protests by Rajput groups.
Haryana will not stop the film, Chief Minister ML Khattar has said, saying it is "our duty" to comply with the Supreme Court's order. "If someone decides not to screen the film, it will be good but if someone screens the film, they will be provided security," he said.
On a petition by
Padmaavat's producers, the Supreme Court ruled that the film cannot be blocked on account of potential trouble and asserted that it is the job of the state government to protect people and maintain peace.
Despite the court ruling, protesters have not backed down. The Karni Sena has vowed to burn theatres that screen
Padmaavat. Protesters believe the film distorts history and shows Rani Padmini, a legendary Rajput Queen renowned for her beauty, in poor light.
The Mumbai-Agra highway was jammed for nearly two hours today as protesters blocked the roads near Indore and Ujjain. Bus services have been disrupted in parts of Gujarat.
On Sunday, thousands of women took out a 'Chetavani (warning) Rally', holding swords, in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh town threatening 'jauhar' or self-immolation a day before the film's release. The women claim around 1,900 have "registered" for 'jauhar' - according to legend, Queen Padmini decided to commit 'jauhar', or jump into the fire, rather than submit to Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, who was obsessed with her beauty.
The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapur was cleared earlier this month by the censor board, which suggested changes. The title of the film was also changed from "
Padmavati" to "Padmaavat".