Bhansali's Padmavati won't release till Gujarat elections?

Mumbai: There seems no likelihood of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s beleaguered epic Padmavati being released at all in December. The producers have decided to wait until the Gujarat elections before taking a call on a new release date. 

“We won’t even announce a date until the elections,” asserts a source from the team of Padmavati. Apparently, the ‘instruction’ to hold the release till the crucial elections have come from the ruling party’s high command. 

So, when is the film expected to be released? “Well, if you insist on knowing, we are looking at early January,” says the source. “If you look at the January schedule, there’s only one major release, and that’s Padman. So January looks like a good time to release Padmavati.”

Meanwhile, selected shows with leaders of political outfits are still being planned. “We plan to have selected screenings, as soon as the CBFC certifies the film,” the source adds. 

In fact, word is that Viacom 18 Motion Pictures also intends to invite the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to watch the film.