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Why Padmavati should be released ...


Sanjay Leela Bhansali (SLB) has messed up big time with the marketing of his movie Padmavati. To start with someone 'leaked' the storyline which involved a 'dream sequence' between Rani Padmini and Khilji. This led to vandalism on the sets. The police acted quickly to make some arrests but SLB refused to file a FIR and the accused had to released. SLB then got into an agreement with Karni Sena on the movie.

It was then very clear that something is just not right. Fast forward a few months and the story repeats again. To start with no one emphatically denies the dream sequence. To make things worse Deepika Padukone lectures the nation on being regressive. This further escalates the opposition. 

SLB then releases a video and allows a few media folks to review the movie. CBFC is now pissed at being bypassed. Politicians then get into action and without having seen the movie demand a complete ban. 

There are some very good reasons why I support the release of Padmavati after it gets the required approvals 

1) Importance of folklore in our national narrative - Indian historians have neglected every historical event for which there is no written evidence. As India has been under Mughal and British rule, most of the discovered written evidence was overwhelmingly in favour of Mughals or the British. The Indian side of the story is only recorded via oral traditions. Hence according to eminent historians, Padmini did not exist and Khilji was a great economist. History is already distorted by the left wing loonies and there is not much a movie can do in terms of distorting it further. On the other hand, the story of Padmini will now reach a national audience and our oral traditions of recording history will get a boost.

2) Re-kindle interest in Hindu icons - Lets be honest... not many had heard about Bajirao or Padmini beyond a few states. We had only read about Akbar - The Great or how brave the Mughals were. Thanks to the controversy around these movies, their stories are being told by parents in every household. This for me is the biggest gain -  having stories about Padmini being told and retold.

3) Repairing History - Indian history is so badly distorted that Indian civilisation is portrayed to be so regressive that an aggressor had to redeem India for Indians. Movies such as Padmavati will re-open the much needed debate about Indian history ( or history of aggressors which is passed around as Indian history).

Lastly, the junk that is taught to our children today in schools is far more damaging than any movie that can be made. Controversies such as these will bring the focus and attention to our history books as well. I only hope politicians act with the same urgency as they did in the case of the movie. 

Let the movie release post CBFC clearance, it will do a world of good to how history is being told to Indians today. 




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