NEW DELHI: Amid the raging controversy over director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members on Thursday sought a ban on the film. However, on the other hand, the Members of Parliament (MPs) from Trinamool Congress and Congress opposed any ban on the film, said reports.
Earlier in the day, Bhansali along with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi appeared before a parliamentary panel in order to discuss the controversy surrounding the period drama.
Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, Parliament's 30-member Standing Committee on Information Technology had decided to intervene into the controversy over the release of Rs 150-crore film Padmavati and sought clarifications from its makers and the CBFC officials.
Bhansali faced a barrage of questions from the parliamentary panel which asked him if the "selective" media screening of his film was aimed at influencing the CBFC, PTI quoted sources as saying.
PTI said the members of the panel asked him, "How could you assume that the movie could be released on December 1 when you applied to the CBFC on November 11. As per the cinematography act, the CBFC may take 68 days before certifying a movie?"
"Is selective media screening of the movie fair and ethical? Was it an act to influence the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)," they asked.
They asked if the creating a controversy was a new trend to sell the movie, sources said.
The panel said media was giving free space due to the ongoing controversy and even social media had given the movie immense space.
They said it seemed that his movies tend to target communities which produced tension between them.
Censor board chief Prasoon Joshi was also scheduled to appear before the panel today, sources said.
The censor board chief had told another parliamentary panel earlier in the day that a decision on the film would be taken after showing it to experts, the sources said.
(With PTI inputs)
