Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic period drama Padmavati has been postponed for an indefinite period of time. Given that the uproar against the film is rising by the day, producers decided to "voluntarily defer" its release date. However, there are sections which believe that the film's release had to be postponed due to the CBFC's new rule, according to which, a film needs to be submitted with the film certification board at least 68 days before its release. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif's big ticket release Tiger Zinda Hai, as some reports claim, might be postponed for similar reasons. The espionage drama, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, is slated to hit the screens on December 22 this year but because of the Censor Board's new rule, the film might get delayed. The fact that Padmavati has recently become a victim of this new rule, further strengthens the chances of Tiger Zinda Hai getting pushed.
While this 68-day diktat has left several filmmakers in the lurch, they have demanded explanation from the CBFC as to how the film certification board cleared Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Messenger of God within a day's time.
Meanwhile, the fringe groups and several political leaders continue to protest against the release of Padmavati. The film is in troubled waters for a supposed romantic scene between Padmavati based on the legend of Rani Padmini from Chittorgarh and Mughal Emperor Alauddin Khilji. While Bhansali has repeatedly denied that there is no such scene in the film, the fringe groups refuse to believe the filmmaker.