Padmaavat (formerly titled Padmavati), is a 2018 Indian epic period drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Deepika Padukone stars as Rani Padmavati, alongside Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh, and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji. Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka feature in supporting roles. Based on the epic poem Padmavat (1540) by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, the film narrates the story of Padmavati, a Rajput queen who committed jauhar (self-immolation) to protect herself from Khilji.[1][7]
With a production budget of ₹215 crore (US$34 million), Padmaavat is the most expensive Hindi film and one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.[8][9][10] Initially scheduled for release on 1 December 2017, Padmavaat faced numerous controversies. Amid violent protests, a bounty was placed on the crew and its release was indefinitely delayed. In December, the Central Board of Film Certification approved the film with five modifications, which includes the addition of multiple disclaimers and a change in title.[11][12] Padmaavat was rescheduled for release on 25 January 2018 in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D formats, making it the first Indian film to be released in IMAX 3D.[13]
Padmaavat received mixed reviews. Critics praised the visuals and Singh's portrayal of Khilji, but criticised its storyline, execution, length, and adherence to regressive patriarchal mores.[14] It has grossed over ₹400 crore (US$62 million) at the box office, becoming a commercial success and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.[15]
Contents [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Development
3.2 Casting
3.3 Budget
3.4 Costumes
4 Soundtrack
5 Controversy
5.1 Threats
5.2 Reactions
5.3 Withdrawals
5.4 Historians
5.5 Pre-screening
5.6 Violence
6 Release
7 Reception
7.1 Critical reception
7.1.1 India
7.1.2 Overseas
7.2 Box office
8 Differences from Padmavat
9 Historical inaccuracies
9.1 Portrayal of Alauddin Khilji
10 References
11 External links
Plot
In 13th-century Afghanistan, Jalaluddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty plots to seize the throne of Delhi. In return for supplying him with an ostrich, his nephew Alauddin Khilji asks for Jalaluddin's daughter Mehrunisa's hand in wedding. Alauddin's wedding is organised, but on the night of the event, he engages in adultery with another woman and kills Jalaluddin's courtier who catches him, leaving his wife-to-be horrified. Meanwhile, Rajput ruler Maharawal Ratan Singh travels to Sinhala to acquire rare pearls for his first wife Nagmati. The Sinhala princess Padmavati unknowingly wounds Ratan Singh while hunting a deer. The two fall in love and are married.
Jalaluddin seizes Delhi's throne and permits Alauddin to repel a Mongol invasion of Delhi. Alauddin undertakes an unsanctioned raid on Devagiri. Learning of Alauddin's ambition to take over his throne from his wife and nephew, Jalaluddin travels to Kara, where his nephew is also stationed. Alauddin captures Devagiri's princess and makes her part of his harem. Jalaluddin arrives and gifts the slave Malik Kafur to Alauddin, who has Jalaluddin and his guards assassinated, declaring himself Sultan.
Padmavati journeys to Mewar with Ratan Singh, but is lusted for by Singh's royal priest, Raghav Chetan. Chetan is caught watching Ratan and Padmavati when they kiss and is thrown out of the kingdom. The first wife of Ratan is also jealous of Padmavati. Chetan travels to Delhi and informs Khilji of Padmavati's beauty. Alauddin, who wants to own every unusual thing in the world, invites the Rajputs to Delhi. Upon learning of their rejection, he orders an attack on Chittor. After many unsuccessful attempts in seizing Chittor, Khilji feigns peace and is allowed to enter Chittor where he meets Ratan. He asks to see Padmavati. The Rajputs, knowing his intentions, threaten him and tell him that he is alive only because he is a guest. He is allowed to see Padmavati momentarily after he insists.
Ratan Singh is taken prisoner by Alauddin, who demands to see Padmavati. Upon being insisted by the chief queen, she agrees, and travels to Delhi to meet Khilji. Meanwhile, Alaluddin's nephew attempts to assassinate him. Alauddin is wounded but defends himself. While on the Sultanante's frontiers, the Rajputs plan to ambush the Khilji soldiers in the morning which is the time for namāz. Padmavati frees Ratan with the help of Mehrunisa. The Khilji soldiers who are praying are alerted and attack, but are ambushed by the Rajputs disguised as women. The Rajput attack is repulsed, with the ambushing Rajputs killed. In Chittor, Padmavati is hailed for saving Ratan and compared to a goddess.
Alauddin imprisons Mehrunisa for helping the Rajputs and marches to Chittor. He and Ratan engage in a single duel; Alauddin is nearly defeated by Ratan who is dishonorably killed by Khilji's forces by being shot with arrows, but berates Alauddin for fighting dishonorably before dying. The Khilji army succeeds in defeating the Rajputs and capturing Chittor, but is unable to capture the Rajput women who commit jauhar with Padmavati.
Cast
Deepika Padukone as Padmavati – a 13th-14th century[16] legendary Rajput queen, who was, according to Padmavat, the wife of Rajput king Ratan Singh (also known as Ratan Sen), the ruler of Mewar. The news of Padmavati's beauty reached Sultan Alauddin Khilji, who besieged Singh's capital, Chittor, motivated by his desire to capture the queen.
Shahid Kapoor as Ratan Singh – the last Rajput ruler of the Guhila dynasty that ruled the kingdom of Mewar. He was defeated by Alauddin Khilji's forces during the siege of Chittor.
Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji – the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.[17] He was the second and most powerful ruler of the Sultanate belonging to the Khalji dynasty.[18] He ascended the throne by murdering his paternal uncle and father-in-law, Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji.[19] According to Padmavat, Khilji laid siege to Chittor motivated by his desire to capture Ratan Singh's beautiful wife, Padmavati.
Aditi Rao Hydari as Mehrunisa[20][21]– first wife of Alauddin Khilji and Queen of the Delhi Sultanate.
Jim Sarbh as Malik Kafur[22]– a prominent eunuch slave-general of Alauddin Khilji.[23]
Raza Murad as Jalaluddin Khilji[24] – the founder and first Sultan of the Khilji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. He was deposed by his nephew and son-in-law Alauddin, who murdered his uncle to usurp the throne.[25]
Anupriya Goenka as Nagmati[26] – first wife and chief queen of Ratan Singh according to Padmavat.[27] Nagmati and her husband's second wife, Padmavati, performed jauhar together after Alauddin Khilji attacked Chittor.[28]
Production
Development
An adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic Padmavat (1540),[1] Sanjay Leela Bhansali had been planning a film adaptation for a decade.[29] He first worked on a television adaptation as an assistant editor for Shyam Benegal's television series Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), based on Jawaharlal Nehru's The Discovery of India (1946), featuring an episode about Padmavat starring Om Puri as Alauddin Khilji.[30] In 2008, Bhansali produced an opera version in Paris, inspiring him to begin work on a film version.[29] Padmaavat also took inspiration from other earlier adaptations of the epic, including Bengali literary adaptations from Kshirode Prasad Vidyavinode in 1906 and Abanindranath Tagore in 1909,[31] the Tamil film Chittoor Rani Padmini (1963),[32][33] and the Hindi film Maharani Padmini (1964).[31]
Pre-production on the film began in July 2016. That same month, playback singer Shreya Ghoshal tweeted about performing a song composed by Bhansali for the film.[34] Many media outlets speculated that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, who played the leads in Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015), were finalised to play Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavati in the film. In October 2016, it was announced that Bhansali would team up with Viacom 18 Motion Pictures to produce the film with Singh and Padukone along with Shahid Kapoor as Rawal Ratan Singh, playing the lead roles.[35]
Casting
The three main actors, Padukone (top), Kapoor (centre) and Singh (bottom).
Padmavati is the third collaboration between Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The trio had worked before in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015), while it is Kapoor's first film with the three.[36] Their co-star from the previous films, Priyanka Chopra was also in consideration to play the title role.[37] In January 2017, it was reported that Bhansali had approached Chopra for a cameo appearance in the film.[38] However, in April 2017, Chopra denied her involvement in the film.[39]
According to reports, no Bollywood actor was willing to take on Maharawal Ratan Singh's role. Shahrukh Khan[40] was offered the part but felt it was not "meaty" enough and declined; failure to agree on his fee may have been a factor.[41] Shahid Kapoor was finally cast to play Ratan Singh with an assurance of a good enough part and a hefty fee.[42] For his role, Kapoor undertook rigorous training under trainer Samir Jaura and followed a strict diet for 40 days. He also learnt sword fighting and the basics of Mardani khel, a weapon-based martial art, and admitted that it had been one of the most physically and emotionally challenging roles of his career.[43]
Ranveer Singh portrays the antagonist of the film, Alauddin Khilji, the first negative role of his career.[44] Director Bhansali had given him books to read delving into the psyche of dark rulers of history such as Adolf Hitler, asserting that he had to completely forget who he was before he could play Khilji. Said a source, "Ranveer is prepping his body language, mannerisms, diction and physique. He is holed up in his Goregaon apartment and has sealed himself off from people. For many hours in the day, he transforms into Khilji working on his dialogues and diction."[45] Singh trained under Mustafa Ahmed, who works with actor Hrithik Roshan, to get into proper shape for the role. The actor worked out twice a day for six days a week.[46] Playing Khilji so affected Singh's personality and behavior that he had to see a psychiatrist to return to normal.[47] For the role, Ranveer Singh spoke formal Urdu.[4]
Jaya Bachchan recommended Aditi Rao Hydari's name to Bhansali for the role of Khilji's first wife, Mehrunisa.[48][20][49] Bhansali casted Hydari over four other choices.[50] She is the only member of the star cast who actually belongs to a royal lineage. "It's not a major role. When I signed on for Padmavati, I knew very well it was going to be a small part. But, Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir presents all his women so well," she said. "In Goliyon Ki Raasleela – Ram-Leela, Richa Chadha had a brief role, but she made an impact. I am sure I will leave some impact in Padmavati. No one who works with Sanjay sir comes away without benefiting from the association."[51]
Veteran actor Raza Murad portrays Alauddin's paternal uncle and Khilji dynasty founder, Sultan Jalaluddin Khilji. Murad has earlier collaborated with Bhansali in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani.[52] Jim Sarbh portrays Malik Kafur, a prominent eunuch slave-general of Alauddin Khilji.[53] Sarbh learned horse-riding for the role.[54]
On 25 October 2017, a video of the first song from the film, titled Ghoomar, was released, in which a woman dressed like a queen appeared briefly. It was later revealed in a Twitter fanpage of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Productions, that the woman is Maharawal Ratan Singh’s first wife, Rani Nagmati, who is portrayed by Anupriya Goenka.[55]
Budget
Due to the costs mounted on the film by delay in the release, Box Office India declared the film's budget to be ₹215 crore (US$34 million), which makes it the most expensive Hindi film and one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.[9][10]
Costumes
Delhi-based Rimple and Harpreet Narula designed Rani Padmavati's costume using traditional Gota embroidery work of Rajasthan. The border derives from the architectural details of Rajasthani palace windows and jharokhas and the odhnis have been styled in conventional ways which are still prevalent in the Mewar belt of Rajasthan.[56] The designer duo elaborated that the costume worn by Padukone in the final scene of the film features the tree-of-life motif and twisted gota embroidery and has a Kota dupatta with block printing. Padukone's dresses were made with Sinhalese influences, as the character of Padmavati hailed from Sri Lanka.[57]
The costumes for Shahid Kapoor were made from mulmul and cotton, with special attention given to the turbans, one of which, featuring a 28-dye lehariya, was inspired by a turban to be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.[58] The clothes for Ranveer Singh were based on travellers' accounts of the Turko-Persian influence on Indian clothing[59] (Khilji was of Turko-Afghan heritage).[17] The costumes for Aditi Rao Hydari, who plays Khilji's first wife Mehrunisa, incorporated Turkish, Afghan, Mongol and Ottoman elements to showcase Mehrunisa's Turkic origins.[60] For both Ranveer Singh and Hydari's costumes, extensive research was done on the clothing and textiles of the Turkish belt, from Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Kazakhstan and to the Central Asian belt around Turkey.[60][61]
Padukone's look for the "Ghoomar" song features intricate jewellery weighing up to 3 kg designed by Tanishq featuring a triple Borla, Mathapatti and Bajuband which are traditional ornaments worn by the Rajasthani women.[62]
Vipul Amar and Harsheen Arora of Delhi-based design house 'The V Renaissance' designed costumes for Rawal Ratan Singh and Alauddin Khilji, employing historical techniques to create the armour such as cuirboilli, sculpting, chiselling, and inlaying.[63] The armour took a team of forty workers eight months to prepare.[64]
Soundtrack
Padmaavat
Soundtrack album by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Released 21 January 2018
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length 21:46
Language Hindi
Rajasthani
Urdu
Arabic
Label T-Series
Sanjay Leela Bhansali chronology
Bajirao Mastani
(2015) Padmaavat
(2018)
Singles from Padmaavat
"Ghoomar"
Released: 25 October 2017
"Ek Dil Ek Jaan"
Released: 11 November 2017
The film score is composed by Sanchit Balhara while the songs are composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A. M. Turaz and Siddharth-Garima wrote the lyrics. The soundtrack has been released by T-Series and comprises six songs.[65] The first song "Ghoomar", to which Padukone performs the traditional Rajasthani folk dance on a set that replicates the interior of Chittorgarh Fort,[66][67] was released on 25 October 2017.[68] The second song from the film "Ek Dil Ek Jaan", a love ballad featuring Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, was released on 11 November 2017.[69] The rest of the soundtrack was released on 21 January 2018 which includes the other four songs: "Khalibali", "Nainowale Ne", "Holi" (Manganiyars & Langa's folk song) and "Binte Dil".[65]
Track listing
No. Title Lyrics Singer(s) Length
- "Ghoomar" A. M. Turaz, Swaroop Khan Shreya Ghoshal, Swaroop Khan 4:41
- "Ek Dil Ek Jaan" A. M. Turaz Shivam Pathak 3:40
- "Khalibali" A. M. Turaz Shivam Pathak, Shail Hada 4:18
- "Nainowale Ne" Siddharth-Garima Neeti Mohan 2:55
- "Holi (Manganiyars & Langa's folk song)" Traditional Richa Sharma, Shail Hada 2:56
- "Binte Dil" A. M. Turaz Arijit Singh 3:12
Total length: 21:46
Controversy
The film became controversial during production. There were allegations from groups such as the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation, claiming that the film depicts factual inaccuracies, portraying the Rajput queen Padmavati in a bad light, with activists vandalising the sets of the film. However, a sting operation[70] conducted by an Indian news channel[71] showed that the activists had planted the controversies in order to extort money from the filmmakers.
Muslim leaders protested against the alleged misrepresentation of Ala-ud-din Khilji. Yunus Chopdar, the Rajasthan Madarsa Board member and president of the Rajasthan Muslims Parishad, said the film puts Muslims in negative light and should be banned.[72]
In response to vandalism of sets in January 2017, The Times of India reported, "Sufi poet Jayasi made up the story that later got legend status, so Bhansali can't be threatened for taking creative licence with the tale, say historians".[73] Akhilesh Khandelwal, an Indian politician and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, made a Facebook post announcing a reward for anyone who attacks the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali with a shoe. The opposition Indian National Congress (INC) condemned the post, demanding action be taken against Khandelwal for attempting to instigate an attack.[74] Bhansali was assaulted by the Karni Sena on a film set,[75] at attack condemned by a number of celebrities and public figures.[76]
In March 2017, some activists of the Karni Sena broke 50-year-old mirrors installed in the Padmini Palace, that was said to have been the palace of Padmavati. The mirrors until then were shown to tourists as part of the narrative that the queen's face was revealed to Alauddin Khilji through them as part of the latter's compromise with her husband Ratan Singh. The activists deplored this claiming that mirrors did not exist during the time.[77] Later that month, while the cast and crew were filming a scene in Masai plateau, Kolhapur at night, a mob of around 20–30 people armed with petrol bombs, stones and lathis charged and set the set ablaze, injuring animals and destroying several costumes. The attacks were considered staged as they were based on the false pretext set up by Rajput groups that the film includes a dream sequence in which Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji are seen in intimate contact.[78] In October, a rangoli of the first poster released from the film, which reportedly took 48 hours to create, was destroyed by a group of around 100 people shouting religious slogans. Action was taken by the police after Padukone expressed her anger on social media.[79] Members of the Sena later stated that they would prevent release even if objectionable parts were cut.[80]
Threats
Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali received death threats.
Subsequently, the Karni Sena made threats of violence, reportedly threatening to burn down theatres if the film is released to audiences before it is shown to them for evaluation. Bhansali responded to the threats by reiterating that rumours of a romantic dream sequence between Padmini and Khilji were false, and that the film contains no such scene. BBC News stated that Bhansali's attempt to placate those who want the film to be banned has "fallen on deaf ears among those who want to 'protect the honour' of a fictitious queen."[81]
In November 2017, Raj K. Purohit, an Indian politician and senior BJP member, called for the film to be banned. He stated: "How can a Rajput queen be shown dancing and without ghoonghat? It is against Rajput culture and pride. No community will be able to tolerate it." He said he would meet Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani to seek action against the film.[82] Central Board of Film Certification member Arjun Gupta petitioned the Home Minister to put Bhansali on trial for treason.[83] The Karni Sena held protests, supported by politicians in the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).[84]
Threats were also directed at Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone, and it was reported that riot police might be deployed at Indian cinemas upon the film's release.[85] The Karni Sena threatened to violently assault and mutilate Padukone, which the Mumbai Police responded to by giving her special security.[86][85] Bharat Kshatriya Samaj, another caste organisation, made death threats against Bhansali and Padukone, putting a ₹5 crore (US$780,000) bounty on their heads.[87][88] The Haryana BJP's media chief Suraj Pal Amu put a ₹10 crore (US$1.6 million) bounty on the heads of both Padukone and Bhansali.[89] Amu also made threats against Ranveer Singh, who plays the Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji, threatening to break Singh's legs.[90]
On 24 November 2017, a dead body was found hanging in Nahargarh Fort, with a sentence scribbled on a nearby rock wall stating in Hindi, "Padmavati ka virodh" (in opposition to Padmavati). The graffiti also included a warning, "We don't just burn effigies, we hang them."[91][92] NDTV reported, "The police say it's not clear if this is a case of suicide or murder."[92] The death, initially thought to have been committed against the release of Padmaavat, was later found to have been an attempt, by appearing to be a murder committed by Muslims in support of Padmaavat, to incite communal riots between Hindus and Muslims.[93] On 26 November 2017, the body was identified to be that of a local businessman. The post mortem report revealed that the man died due to hanging.[94]
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) passed the film with a (12A) rating and zero cuts.[95] Following this, a Karni Sena leader went on Republic TV and threatened to burn down British theatres that screened the film. He called on his "fellow Rajput brothers" to stop the screening of the film.[96] The BBFC responded to the Rajasthan Association's query and stated that "freedom of choice must be respected" and that filmmakers are “free to explore narratives based on historical events” and to interpret them as they wish.[97] They also stated that there was "nothing" in the film that was "unacceptable" under the 12A category.[97]
Reactions
In November 2017, in the midst of the controversy preceding the film's release, the makers received support from the film community. Bodies such as Indian Film & Television Directors' Association, Cine & TV Artists Association, Western India Cinematographers' Association, Association of Cine & Television Art Directors & Costume Designers questioned the Indian government's silence over threats to the makers from the Rajput groups. Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra called the incidents "an assault on creative freedom".[98] They termed the hostility towards Bhansali and the makers "akin to abusing the film fraternity".[99] The makers also received support from eminent personalities such as Salman Khan, Ruby Rose,[100] Shraddha Kapoor,[101] Karan Johar,[102] Javed Akhtar,[102] Swara Bhaskar,[103] Anurag Kashyap,[103] Anurag Basu,[103] Gauri Shinde,[103] Hansal Mehta,[103] Varun Dhawan,[104] Sonam Kapoor,[104] Twinkle Khanna,[104] Arjun Kapoor,[104] Riteish Deshmukh,[104] Shekhar Kapur,[105] Kapil Sharma,[106] Manushi Chhillar,[107] Nana Patekar,[108] Juhi Chawla,[109] Anand L. Rai,[109] Esha Gupta,[110] Raveena Tandon[111] LK Advani,[112] Kriti Sanon,[113] Yami Gautam,[113] Sonakshi Sinha,[114] Kangana Ranaut,[115] Hrithik Roshan,[116] Richa Chadda,[116] Kamal Haasan,[116] Rishi Kapoor,[116] Rajkummar Rao,[116] Shyam Benegal,[116] Pahlaj Nihalani,[116] Shabana Azmi and Priyanka Chopra.[117][118] There were calls to boycott the 48th International Film Festival of India from actors of the Indian film industry in support of the film.[119]
The major political parties across India took conflicting stands. While several members and leaders of the centre-ruled BJP called for an outright ban on the film, the Rajasthan State unit of the party and that of the Indian National Congress (INC) adopted a stance in favour of the Rajput community, demanding ban on the film if it distorts history.[120] The Economic Times attributed this stance to the State elections due to be held the following year, and their attempts to not offend the said majority community.[121] Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, alleged the film of distortion of history and said "protestors against the film are right".[122] Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the protests.[123] Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress shared similar views and claimed the prevalence of "super emergency" in the country and called the controversy a "calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves."[124] The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena gave its support to the makers tacitly and said that the party would take a stance upon watching the film.[125] Ajmer Sharif Dargah's Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan also urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the release of the film, likening Bhansali to Rushdie, Taslima Nasreen and Tareq Fatah, authors who supposedly hurt the sentiments of Muslims.[126] Sanjay Leela Bhansali kept mum on receiving death threats until he revealed them to the media expressing his struggle to keep himself strong and keep on fighting.[127]
The controversies surrounding the film re-opened the question of film censorship in India and the country's freedom of expression.[128][129] Amid resentments from political leaders and caste groups calling to stop the film's release, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition for the same, and called freedom of speech and expression "sacrosanct" and that it "should not be ordinarily interfered with".[130][131] In support of the film, the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA) and 20 other film industry bodies planned a 15-minute blackout on 26 November 2017.[132]
Withdrawals
On 20 November, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said "The film which distorts facts and disrespects 'Rashta Mata' Padmavati will not be allowed to screen in any part of Madhya Pradesh."[133] Following this, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, announced that he would not allow the film to be released in his state.[134] However, Singh was later quoted saying on 10 December, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati, which is mired in a major controversy, will not be barred from screening in my state."[135] The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, stated that the film will not be screened in the state until the changes to the storyline suggested by her in a letter to the Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are incorporated.[136] The Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh also demanded removal of "controversial portions" to allow screening of the film in that state.[137] Mamta Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal supported the film's release and was quoted saying, "If they cannot release it in any other state, we will give special arrangement for Padmaavat. Bengal will be very happy and Bengal will be proud to do that."[138] Amu responded by threatening to cut off Banerjee's nose, comparing her to the Hindu demoness Surpanakha.[139] Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, announced that the film would not be allowed to be screened in the state as it "hurts the sentiment of Rajput community."[140] The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, stated that the film will not be released in the state "without amicable solution among all parties involved."[141]
The Karni Sena changed its stance on 23 November 2017, and agreed to support the release of the film, provided that the makers screen the film to the royal family of Mewar and agreed to withdraw the protests if nothing objectionable is found in the film.[142] Amu, who had earlier placed a bounty of ₹10 crore on Padukone's head, claimed to be a fan of Padukone and called her "the nation’s daughter."[143] However, he later added that he will not compromise on "Rajput honour and sentiment."[143] The Maharani of Jaipur Padmini intervened in the protests, stating that the film has no historical inaccuracy other then the song Ghoomar. A fan of Bhansali herself, the Rani plans to bring the Karni Sena and the filmmakers together to "chalk out a peace plan."[144]
On 30 November 2017, Bhansali appeared before the Indian Parliament and clarified his stance, stating, "All the controversy over the film is based on rumours. I have not distorted facts. The film is based on a poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi."[145]
A Pakistani critic, Haroon Khalid, had disliked the portrayal of Khilji as a stereotypical evil Muslim king and Ratan Singh as the righteous Hindu king.[146]
Historians
Several historians have criticised the protests, and described Padmavati as a mythical fictional character. Aditya Mukherjee from the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University called the protests "absurd" and said, "In the contemporary period, there is no mention of this event, no accounts of Padmavati by Amir Khusrau, a prolific writer of the era and a courtier of Alauddin Khilji. This is misuse of both fiction and history. There is no historical evidence of this Padmavati event – this story is a poet's imagination." He referred to the controversy as "manufacturing of hurt sentiments clearly with an eye on politics."[147] Historian Irfan Habib said, “Though Alauddin Khilji had won Chittor, during that period there is no mention of any character as Padmavati in history” and noted that she was mentioned for the first time in Muhammad Jayasi's fictional epic Padmavat over two centuries after the Chittor incident.[148] Historian Harbans Mukhia writes in The Indian Express, "Khilji defeated the Rana of Chittor in 1303 and died in 1316. No one by the name of Padmini or Padmavati existed then — or at any time — in flesh and blood resembling the story. She was born in 1540, 224 years after Khalji’s death, in the pages of a book of poetry by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, resident of Jayas in Awadh, a very long way from Chittor."[149] Social analyst Jamal Ansari stated: “Presently myths are being presented as history which is a dangerous trend.”[148] Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik objected to the story of Padmavati and said that it is a glamorisation and valorisation of the idea of a woman voluntarily burning herself.[84]
A panel consisting Arvind Singh, and historians Chandramani Singh and KK Singh watched the movie and asked reservations on the content. Singh said the movie illustrated Hindus and Muslims in poor light.[72]
On 30 Jan 2018, Malaysia became the first country to outright ban the movie. Malaysia’s National Film Censorship Board (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.[150]
Pre-screening
Following the controversies, the makers held a special screening of Padmaavat in November 2017 for leading Indian journalists, including Arnab Goswami and Rajat Sharma, who praised the film and described it as "the greatest tribute to Rajput pride."[151] They also stated that the film does not contain any dream sequence or intimate scene between Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). In fact, the actors do not share any screen space at all.[152] Rajat Sharma particularly praised Singh's performance as Khilji.[153]
Violence
In the days leading up to the film's release, violent protests began breaking out across India,[154] as well as riots. In Gujarat, for example, hundreds of suspects were arrested for rioting.[155] There have been incidents in Haryana where mobs protesting the film's release attacked several passenger vehicles. A protest mob torched a Haryana Roadways bus, injuring several people on it.[156] A protest mob in Haryana also attacked a school bus with teachers and children, the youngest, four years-old, with stones and sticks.[157]
Release
During the launch of Padmaavati, there was heavy police presence deployed outside PVR Plaza, CP, New Delhi, as well as all cinema halls in the region (top). Note that no poster for Padmaavat/Padmaavati was put up at PVR CP, as was the case reported across other cinema halls also (bottom).[158][159][160]
The digital streaming rights of Padmaavat were sold to Amazon Prime Video for ₹20–25 crore in August 2017.[161] Theatrical distribution rights in overseas territories were acquired by Paramount Pictures from Viacom 18 in October.[162] It was announced that Prime Focus Limited would render the film in 3D. The CEO of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures Ajit Andhare stated that it would be the widest release for a Bollywood film in 3D.[163]
The film was initially scheduled for theatrical release on 1 December in India, but the producers announced in a statement on 19 November that they "voluntarily deferred the release date of the film", amidst growing protests.[164]
Padmavati was initially slated for release in the United Arab Emirates on 30 November 2017 and in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2017, but, in an interview with Gulf News, the makers stated that the film would not be released in foreign territories before receiving a certificate from the CBFC.[165][166][167] CBFC follows a strict chronological order to approve films and 'Padmavati' will seek the board's approval and the grant of a certificate.[168] In the end of December, Central Board of Film Certification approved the film for theatrical exhibition and suggested 5 modifications to the film, which includes the addition of multiple disclaimers and amending its title to Padmaavat.[11][12] The change in the title was intended to be a disclaimer that the film is not a historical drama, but a cinematic adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem Padmavat.[169]
Post the CBFC approval with U/A certification, the film got banned by the Chief Ministers of four states Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana in order to maintain 'law and order' and avert protests in their states.[170][171] Owing to which the film could potentially lose 26-28% of its market at present with the official ban in these states, without considering local orders to exhibitors in many cities especially in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh not to play the film.[172] The Supreme Court of India overruled the ban, stating that freedom of speech is to be maintained and that the states have to ensure the screening of the film without any issues.[173][174][175]
Reception
Critical reception
India
Padmaavat opened to mixed critical reviews upon release.[176][177][178] Critics praised the visuals, and the performance of Singh, but criticised its storyline, execution, running time and the "unwanted" 3D conversion.[14]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5 stars and said, "On the whole, Padmaavat is a remarkable motion picture experience that's backed by proficient direction, spellbinding screenwriting and superlative acting. For Bhansali, it's the best title on an impressive filmography."[179] Neil Soans of The Times of India gave 4 stars and said, "The director's expertise in heightening opulence and grandeur is well-known, further distinguishable in 3D. Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee compliments him by beautifully capturing some jaw-dropping scenery."[180] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave 3.5 stars and said, "the real wonder of Padmaavat comes from its production and presentation. This film has phenomenal production design, costumes and camera work. The technical finesse on display is just mind boggling."[181] Rajeev Masand of CNN-News18 gave 3.5 stars, praising Singh's performance, writing, "the film belongs to Ranveer Singh whose delicious performance is its biggest strength. The actor keeps you invested in the film even when it plods on for over two-and-a-half hours."[182]
Kunal Guha of Mumbai Mirror gave 3.5 stars but criticised Padukone's and Kapoor 's performances, "Padukone, in the titular role, is a tad underwhelming. While she manages to convey a range of emotions by merely welling up, her character could've been a bit more multifarious. Shahid Kapoor, as Raja Ratan Singh is just like a portrait — and in several shots, we see him assuming a power stance and a smug expression to convey his imperial manner."[183] Giving 3.5 stars, Sushant Mehta of India Today panned Padukone's and Kapoor's performances calling them "mediocre" while terming Singh's "unconvincing", and wrote, "Being a one-dimensional actress Deepika Padukone has done very well for herself but she doesn't possess the skill to essay such a character. Shahid and Deepika's portrayal of Raja Rawal Ratan Singh and Rani Padmavati can best be described as mediocrity covered with jewels." He added that "craft takes over content yet you don't mind this compromise as the end product is spectacular and the execution emerges as the real hero of the film."[184]
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 stars and said, "Padmaavat is spectacular [to look]: no one can do spectacle like Bhansali. You can easily delight in it while the going is good. But nearly three hours of it, and looping rhetoric around what constitutes Rajput valour can and does become tiresome."[185] Mayur Sanap of Deccan Chronicle gave 2.5 stars and said, "Bhansali makes his most courageous film yet, but sadly the results are not very impressive. The film that is a war epic, love story, and costume drama, all in one, is bogged down by mediocre execution. Much will be said about the film's daunting length, and the truth is, it could have been shorter."[186] Suparna Sharma, also of Deccan Chronicle gave 2.5 stars and said, "Padmaavat is offensively chauvinistic, blatantly right-wing, and quite unabashedly anti-Muslim.[187]
Raja Sen of NDTV India gave 1.5 stars and said, "Bhansali takes an unbearable length of time to spark the flame. Things go on and on and on, with characters it is impossible to care about. They may appear attractive from time to time, certainly, but these protagonists are inconsistent, infuriating and test the patience."[188]
Rediff.com also gave 1.5 stars calling it "superficial" and wrote "Deepika Padukone gets an absolute raw deal as the Queen; her performance is submissively overwrought, blandly weighted, and her speeches combined with the leisureliness of the narrative's pacing, can put you in a stupor. Worst of all, you will be driven by the suspicion if Padukone even does enough to deserve the movie's title.[189] Namrata Joshi of The Hindu gave a negative review noting the film is "a yawn fest" and "an interminable expanse of unadulterated dullness." She also criticised the 3D conversion writing "The opulence doesn’t seem as awe-inspiring, the special effects, especially in some of the battle scenes, are plain tacky and the actors seem like cardboard dolls of themselves in the long shots, acquiring a human visage only in extreme".[190] Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost criticised the film giving 1 star out of 5 writing "Padmaavat is a perfect example of a Hindi film couching its extreme prejudices in grandiloquence and tacky clichés, with those clichés embedded in resplendent frames."[191]
Overseas
Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave 4 stars and said, "It's not just the extravagance that catches the eye, but the precision with which it's applied. Every twirl of every sari and every arrow in every battle appears to have been guided by the hands of angels. Such excess could have proved deadening, but dynamic deployment of old-school star power keeps almost all its scenes alive with internal tensions."[192] Shilpa Jamkhandikar published a mixed review in Reuters, who noted, "But unlike Bhansali’s earlier films, where he was able to find emotional depth even in opulent historical romances, this one falls short". But she praised Ranveer Singh's performance as Khilji.[193] Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News opined that the quality of the work was lower than that in other Bhansali films.[194] Sadaf Haider of DAWN Images said that the film is "a flawed history lesson", however, she praised the film visual, music and most of the act.[195] Rahul Aijaz of The Express Tribune rated 4.5 out of 5 stars; he too praised the film and said that it "doesn't set up false expectations and then disappoint" due to "perfect storytelling", and "memorable performances".[196]
Box office
Due to the numerous controversies associated with Padmaavat before its release which resulted in banning the film in certain states, the film's commercial performance was highly unpredictable.[197] The film was released in only 70% of places in India.[198] However, despite limited screenings, the film earned an estimated ₹5 crore (US$780,000) in Wednesday paid previews.[199] The following day, the film opened nationwide across 4,800 screens of which over 500 screens were shown in Tamil and Telegu.[200][201] It earned an estimated ₹19 crore (US$3.0 million) nett on its opening day in India, excluding previews, which was considered impressive despite its ban in numerous big states and marked a career best opening for Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shahid Kapoor and fourth biggest for Padukone (behind Happy New Year, Chennai Express and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani).[202][203][204][205] On Friday, the film added another ₹32 crore (US$5.0 million), owing to national holiday on Republic Day.[206] This was followed by a gradual fall on Saturday taking in another ₹27 crore (US$4.2 million).[207][208] Through Sunday, the film delivered an opening weekend of ₹114 crore (US$18 million) and became the fourteenth film to enter the 100 crore club in just under 4 days.[209][210] Furthermore, it broke the record for the biggest IMAX opening in India with US$461,000 from 12 screens.[211] However, due to its limited screenings, the film nevertheless lost over ₹35 crore (US$5.5 million) in box office receipts during its opening weekend.[212]
Outside India, the film broke all-time opening day records in Australia (A$367,984), surpassing the likes of Dangal and the dubbed-Hindi version of Baahubali: The Conclusion.[197][213] One of the reason behind the film's successful run in the country was because Paramount (the overseas distributing company) was able to secure release in all three major theatre chains (Hoyts, Event Cinemas and Village Cinemas) unlike other Bollywood films which have to choose between the two latter.[214] In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $1.13 million on its opening day. This was followed by the biggest ever single-day for a Hindi film with $1.8 million on Saturday, breaking the previous record held by PK ($1.41 million).[215][216] Although Baahubali: The Conclusion still holds the record for all Indian films, that is inclusive of three different languages.[217] It went on to set a new opening weekend record for a Hindi film with $4.2 million, and witnessed the second best per-theatre-average inside the top 10 with $13,188 from 324 theatres.[218][211] As of 6 February 2018, the film has crossed ₹400 crore (US$62 million) worldwide, making it one of the top 10 highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time, and the highest ever for a Bollywood film not starring one of the three Khans.[219] The film entered the 200 crore club domestically, making Ranveer Singh, at age 32, the youngest leading male actor to do so.[220]
Differences from Padmavat
The film is an adaptation[1] of the epic poem Padmavat written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540.[221] The poem is a fictionalised account of Alauddin Khilji's 1303 siege of Chittorgarh in Rajputana (present-day Rajasthan).[222] According to Padmavat, Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, laid siege to Chittor Fort motivated by his desire to capture Queen Padmini (called Padmavati in the film), the beautiful wife of King Ratan Sen (called Ratan Singh in the film), the Rajput ruler of Mewar. After Khilji successfully besieged Ratan Singh's capital Chittor, Padmavati committed jauhar (the Rajput custom of self-immolation) to protect her honour from the Muslim ruler.[223]
The film shows Padmavati as the daughter of the king of Singal.[citation needed] According to Padmavat, Padmavati was the sister of the king and Ratan Singh married her after defeating the king in a game of chess.[224]
In the film, the Brahmin Raghav Chetan is exiled as per Padmavati's wishes.[citation needed] In Padmavat, he left Mewar on his own accord, fearing Ratan Singh's rage.[224]
In the film, Padmavati goes to Delhi in order to rescue Ratan Singh.[citation needed] In Padmavat, it is only Ratan Singh's faithful servants, Gora and Badal who travel to Delhi along with their followers to save Ratan Singh.[224]
The climax of the film shows Ratan Singh being killed by Alauddin Khilji's forces while he is engaged in battle with Khilji and is about to defeat him. According to Padmavat, Ratan Singh never fought Khilji and died in a battle against King Devpal of Kumbalner before Khilji attacked Chittor.[225]
Historical inaccuracies
Although Ratan Singh (identified with Ratnasimha)[226] and Alauddin Khilji are actual historical figures, Padmavati's existence is not historically proven.[227] Khilji did attack Chittor in 1303 and conquered the fort, but he did not wish to capture Ratnasimha's wife.[227] Historians of Khilji's period did not make any reference to a "Queen" of Chittor while mentioning the conquest of the fort.[228] The poem Padmavat, which was written 200 years after the incident,[229] ends with Jayasi's own words, "I have made up the story and related it."[230]
Historian Rana Safvi criticized the film and said, "Bhansali was faithful to neither history, geography nor the epic [Padmavat] on which he based his film."[231] According to Safvi, portrayal of the Khiljis in the film is historically inaccurate.[231] Jalaluddin Khilji is portrayed as an arrogant, cunning, ambitious and cruel man. He was actually popular for being a mild-mannered and humble ruler.[232] Jalaluddin ascended the throne of Delhi in 1290 only to bring peace after the death of Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban.[231] He did not lead an attack on the Delhi Sultanate in India from Ghazni, Afghanistan.[233] The film shows an unsuccessful assassination plot by Alauddin’s nephew, one which seriously injures the Sultan, but none of this actually happened.[234] Historically, Ratan Singh (Ratnasimha) departed from the battlefield and surrendered to Khilji. The two never engaged in battle.[235]
Portrayal of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khilji's portrayal in the film has been severely criticised by historians and critics. Business Standard India wrote that Khilji was portrayed as an "Indian Khal Drogo, wearing a fur coat and gobbling meat" in the trailer of the film.[236] Historians believe "the sultan of Delhi who successfully stopped repeated attempts by Mongols to invade India would have been one of the most sophisticated men of his times." [236] Historian Rana Safvi explained why Khilji was sophisticated. "It was under his rule the Delhi Sultanate heavily drew from Persia, one of the oldest and most sophisticated civilizations of all time. The rulers followed the exact code of conduct and etiquette as in Persia. It would have been very formal – the eating, dining and sartorial choices."[237] Safvi stated that Khilji was portrayed as a barbarian in the film only to show him as a villain and Ratan Singh (played by Shahid Kapoor) as a sauve and sophisticated rival.[233] Historian Archana Ojha of Delhi University stated that Khilji's look and clothing in the film was inaccurate.[238] Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh) wears furs in the film, but historically he used to wear cotton clothes.[238] Ojha said that the film was "too exotic and grand."[238]
Shantanu David of News 18 criticised the portrayal of Khilji in the film as "an intemperate, sadistic horn dog with no morals and severe impulse control issues."[234] David asserted that people who watch the film should not expect to see the real Khilji for he was nothing like this.[234] Khilji was cruel and a tyrant but he was not the kind of man to run after women in order to conquer kingdoms. He was only interested in expanding his Sultanate's territory with conquests and hence attacked Chittor.[233] Bobby Naqvi of Gulf News said, "the director [Bhansali] broke a basic rule by turning a fictional character [Padmavati] into a flesh-and-bone symbol of beauty and valour and projected a real king [Khilji] as a barbarian with a ravenous libido — a depiction neither found in Jayasi’s poem nor in history books."[239] Sonal Giani, an LGBTQ activist and actor, said, "It would help if SLB [Sanjay Leela Bhansali] had stuck to the persona of Khilji that the historians showed, and not portrayed him as a madman."[240]
Anna M.M. Vetticad of Firstpost stated that Bhansali's aim was "to pedestalise Rajputs and demonise the Khiljis, to pander to the larger Hindu Right via Rajputs by slandering a Muslim king."[241] She further added, "Alauddin wants a woman for himself, he is portrayed as lustful, whereas Ratan’s betrayal of his first queen for Padmavati is sweet romance."[241] Hemanth Kumar of The News Minute opined that Bhansali portrayed Khilji as "a personification of monster."[242] Similarly, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said, "The Muslim ruler of half of India, Alauddin Khilji, is presented as an unprincipled brute, likened to the asuras (demons of Hindu mythology), and even Yamraj (the god of death)."[243]
Padmaavat was banned from screening in Malaysia (a majority Muslim country) due to the negative portrayal of Khilji. The Home Ministry of the country stated, "He [Khilji] is portrayed as a Sultan who is arrogant, cruel, inhumane, devious with all kinds of trickery, unreliable and who does not fully practice Islamic teachings."[244]