India's supreme court on Thursday approved the release of the controversial Bollywood movie Padmavat and overturned bans on the film imposed by the governments of six states.
The movie, whose December 1 release was postponed in the face of protests and opposition from right-wing Hindu groups, will now hit screens across India on January 25.
Padmavat tells the story of a fictional 14th-century queen, Padmavati, who hailed from the martial Rajput caste. Based on a 1540 poem, the movie shows the Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji falling in love with Padmavati and laying siege to her kingdom in a bid to snatch her.
Rajput groups, joined by Hindu nationalist outfits like the Karni Sena, have claimed that the film depicts Padmavati in dishonorable light. The movie's sets were vandalised and its actors threatened. Threats were also issued against any cinema that screened the film.
In November, Suraj Pal Amu, a politician from prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called for the beheading of the film’s director and its star, Deepika Padukone, offering a bounty of 100 million rupees (Dh5.75m) apiece.
This month, as the new release date set by the film's producers approached, the governments of Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan decided to ban screenings in their states, citing the possibility of law and order problems.
But Dipak Misra, India’s chief justice, said that states cannot prohibit the screening of films that have been cleared by the federal government’s Central Board of Film Certification.
“Cinemas are an inseparable part of the right to free speech and expression,” he said.
“Quite clearly, it’s a win for freedom of expression,” Shyam Benegal, one of India’s most acclaimed filmmakers, told the IANS news agency in the wake of the verdict.
But opposition to the film's release is likely to continue. Mr Amu said the court had “hurt the sentiments” of Hindus and added: “Our protest will continue even if I am hanged to death.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
More on Quran memorisation:
HAJJAN
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