Malaysia bans Padmaavat. In other news, Karni Sena’s now cool with it

Malaysia bans Padmaavat, Shri Rajput Karni Sena withdraws protest

By: Anumeha Saxena |
February 3, 2018 1:04 pm

After an year of violent protests, while Shri Rajput Karni Sena has finally taken back its protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, Malaysia has banned the movie. The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia has stopped the release of the movie in the country claiming that it portrays Islam in bad light.

With this move, Malaysia has become the first foreign country to ban Padmaavat. In a press statement, the Malaysian Censor Board said, “the plot of the movie gave a bad image about Islam through the role played by a (Muslim) sultan,” as reported by the Jakarta Post. Last week, the Pakistan Censor Board, Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) cleared the movie without any cuts. Clearing Padmaavat, the chairman of Pakistan Censor Board, Mobashir Hasan tweeted:

Central Board of Film Censors #CBFC has declared a feature film containing Indian cast & crew #Padmaavat without any excision suitable for public exhibition in the cinemas with a ‘U’ certification. #CBFC #Unbiasedforartscreativity&healthy entertainment

— Mobashir Hasan (@BABUCRATE) January 24, 2018

Also read: Homophobic, Islamophobic and regressive, ‘Padmaavat’ embodies its own protestors

Even the Malaysian Home Ministry has confirmed the ban, as per the Straits Times. Irked about the negative portrayal of Delhi Sultanate ruler, Alauddin Khilji, the ministry said in a statement:

“He [Alauddin Khilji] is portrayed as a Sultan who is arrogant, cruel, inhumane, devious with all kinds of trickery, unreliable and who does not fully practise Islamic teachings.”

Closer home, Shri Rajput Karni Sena which had been creating a menace without watching the movie, withdrew its protests on Friday. The Supreme Court, in December, directed all the states to release the movie and as a result, after a delay of over one month, Padmaavat was due to be released on January 25. But many states sought a ban fearing violence by Karni Sena and other fringe outfits, and many cinema halls in various states either refused to screen the movie or sought security. Till the movie’s release, the Karni Sena remained adamant and threatened the authorities with more violence.

Also read: Padmaavat: The new normal? Kolkata, Mumbai cinema halls to get police protection

The decision has come after a few members of the outfit watched the movie and found that it glorifies the Rajput honour. Yogendra Singh Katar, a leader of the outfit said that after a few members watched the movie, on the instruction of outfit’s President, Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi, they found that the movie actually glorified Rajput pride, as reported by Times Now.

Also read: Padmaavat protests: Karni Sena accidentally torches party member’s car in Bhopal