Bajirao Mastani: Madhya Pradesh court issues notices to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone

Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday issued notices to the government of India, Information and broadcasting ministry, censor board besides directors and actors of film ‘Bajirao Mastani’ over its release without showing script to decedents of the royal family. Tamkeen Ali Bahadur, a descendant of ‘Bajirao Mastani’ has moved Jabalpur bench of the court claiming that this movie has done an irreparable loss to his family’s social image by showing distorted facts. He said the censor board was asked either to show them complete movie or to share a copy of movie’s script before its release, but no avail. Respondents including secretory of censor board, film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, novel writer N S Inamdar, actor Ranveer Singh, actress Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have been asked by the Jabalpur bench to submit an explanation within four weeks. Tamkeen Ali is a decedent of Shamsher Ali, son of Mastani, who became the Nawab of Banda. This family lost its treasures when Nawab Ali Bahadur II fought against British with Laxmibai of Jhansi

He had filed a petition in Jabalpur high court in November 2015 for directions to get script of the movie so that they could ensure historical facts were not distorted. But this petition was dismissed by the court asking Ali to approach Central board for film certification. Subsequently an application was moved before the censor board. On November 30, board replied that the said movie has not been placed for it till on date their application was received. “Censor board should have kept Tamkeen Ali’s application pending until it script was approved by him. But they issued the certificate as ”historical’ and allowed the director to release the movie. They have committed an offence for which they should be punished,” petitioner’s lawyer Ahadulla Usmani told TOI. Petitioner is also demanding a part of the earning from the movie as royalty , citing it would be used for restoration of ‘Bajirao Mastani’s’ grave in Pune.