Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat banned in Malaysia!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat has been banned in Malaysia by the country’s censor board. Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board has banned the movie in Malaysia citing that “Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country.” 

Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board chairman Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz said, “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.” The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the 16th century epic, Padmaavat by poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. The film faced controversy at home as well after various Rajput groups accused Bhansali of “distorting historical facts” with the portrayal of queen Padmavati, a claim repeatedly denied by him. 
According to the report, Aziz said the distributors of the film had filed an appeal against the ban which would be taken up by the Film Appeals Committee on January 30. “Currently, LPF is unable to provide further comments as the film distributor has submitted an appeal to the appeals committee. “Therefore, further comments will only be issued after the appeals committee has made its decision,” Aziz said.The film was released on January 25 in India after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared it last month with a ‘U/A’ certificate and five modifications, including title change from Padmavati to Padmaavat. 

But the movie earned Rs 110cr at box office in the first weekend of its release. Padmaavat box office collection is as much the audience’s response to the film’s creative merit as to the hate mongers and the fringe groups. Despite widespread protests against the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film even after the Supreme Court ordered state governments to maintain law and order during its release, Padmaavat has managed to emerge victorious at the box office.