'Padmaavat' gets barred from release in Malaysia

Malaysia’s tiol Film Censorship Board (LPF) has barred filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmaavat” from getting released in the country.  LPF chairman Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz said in a statement that the storyline of the film itself is of grave concern as “Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country”, reports variety.com. “The storyline of the film touches on the sensitivities of Islam. That in itself is a matter of grave concern in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country,” Aziz said. 

Based on 16th century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s poem “Padmavat”, the film was caught in a row in India after protests from a Rajput outfit Shri Rajput Karni Se over allegations that the movie distorts historical facts and dents the pride of the Rajput community. The film was eventually released in India on January 25.  Post-release, the film has had mixed reviews. It has been criticised by some sections for glorifying not just Jauhar and also for showing Alauddin Khilji as a demon-like figure. (IANS)