Ep. 51: Is 'Padmaavat' the Most Controversial Blockbuster Ever?
Last week marked the release of the contentious Bollywood film Padmaavat. The lavish epic about a Hindu queen, Padmavati, is one of the most expensive Bollywood films ever, but is not without its detractors, with many claiming the film is historically inaccurate and disrespectful. Rajput and Hindu extremists who oppose the film attacked Padmaavat’s crew while it was in production, vandalised theaters screening the film, and offered a bounty to behead director and lead actress. To make sense of the outrage surrounding Padmaavat, Rob and Geoff sit down with Dilani Rabindran, founder of Viewfinder Film Consulting, and programmer at Reel Asian Film Fest. Rabindran walks them through Padmaavat’s long and troubled history, explains the furor surrounding its plot and themes, and questions if the controversy surround the film has helped it gain a wider audience. She also breaks down the concessions the film had to make to be cleared by the censor boards in India, and how the film has helped spark a debate on the limits artistic license.