The controversy surrounding ‘Padmavati’ took a tragic turn on Friday as a man from Rajasthan allegedly committed suicide to protest against the period drama which many believe disrespects queen Padmavati of Chittor, revered and worshipped as a goddess by many in the state.
The man hung himself from a tower at the Nahargarh Fort which overlooks Jaipur city and a note scribbled on a boulder next to the body read: “Padmavati virodh (protest against Padmavati) We won’t burn effigies. We kill.”
This comes on a day when the Delhi High Court (HC) turned down a plea seeking to set up an expert committee to ensure that historic facts were not distorted the film.
Earlier, the Supreme Court too had refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of film, saying the Censor Board was yet to certify the movie.
The top court said there were several guidelines for the CBFC to grant certification to a movie and, in addition, there was the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) to look into the grievances regarding a film.