Deepika Padukone's Padmavati: Will The Controversy Help Film's Box Office Performance?

New Delhi: Will the controversy around the release of Deepika Padukone's Padmavati help boost the ticket sales in December? Actress Sharmila Tagore thinks not. She told news agency PTI that this controversy will only harm the overall business of the film. "Sometimes it does help, but most of the time it doesn't. Whatever is happening in the case of Padmavati, I don't think it is going to help the film. When you hassle Sanjay Leela Bhansali (the film's director) and vandalise the film's sets, the cost of the movie goes up. Even that rangoli was destroyed, how can all this help? If the film gets delayed, the first three days of the business gets affected. It affects the economics of the film. The first weekend is very important for the film," she said.



Members of Rajput Karni Sena have threatened to disrupt the release on Padmavati, which features Deepika Padukone in titular role, alleging that the film has misrepresented historical facts. "Audience is already feeling scared. Most of them feel 'let the first two days go by peacefully, then we'll go'. They (the group) are already issuing threats that they'll burn the theatres if the makers don't take their permission. All this causes serious harm to the film fraternity as well," said Sharmila Tagore.

Padmavati is based on the folk tale of rani Padmini of Chittor, who performed jauhar with several Rajput women when Alauddin Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh in film) invaded the fort of Chittor. Actor Shahid Kapoor plays Deepika's onscreen husband in the film.

On Wednesday, the first song of Padmavati, titled Ghoomar, created quite a stir on the Internet. Padmavati will hit the screens on December 1.

(With inputs from PTI)