Karni Sena remains defiant a day ahead of 'Padmaavat' release

A day ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat', the Shree Rajput Karni Sena continued to fiercely oppose the controversy-mired film with its chief patron Lokendra Singh Kalvi insisting that a 'Janta curfew' will be imposed on theatres screening the movie.
Kalvi also sought to pin the blame for the widespread violence, reportedly carried out at many places by members of his outfit, on film director Bhansali.
He rejected reports that some Karni Sena members had watched the film ahead of its release terming them as rumours.
A Janta curfew will be imposed at any cost in film halls to stop the film's screening, Kalvi said. He claimed that Shiv Sena leaders had assured the Karni Sena of support on the issue in Maharashtra.

The fringe outfit leader also alleged that a dream sequence between the characters of Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavati existed in the controversial film, which, he said, was "intolerable".
"Those who watched the film on the invitation by the censor board few days back have said that there is a dream sequence between Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavati in the film. We have been demanding that there should be no dream sequence and no romantic scene between the two," he said.

The filmmakers, however, have assured in the past that no dream sequence exists in the movie.
Kalvi also claimed that a section of media had wrongly reported that members of the Karni Sena had seen the film yesterday.

"This is not true and we are firm on our stand against the film," he said.
Striking a defiant pose, the Karni Sena leader said that he and other outfit leaders may be arrested and bullets fired but the protest would continue in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
"Janta curfew will be imposed on film halls at any cost. We are getting support of film hall owners and film distributors," Kalvi said.
On the violence, he held the filmmaker responsible and said it was the duty of the state governments to ensure law and order while asserting the agitation against the film will not be withdrawn.

The decks for the nationwide release of the film were cleared after a Supreme Court order. The film is set for release tomorrow.