Karni Sena withdraws protest against Padmaavat, says movie glorifies Rajput valour

The Karni Sena -- after over two years of protesting against the movie Padmaavat -- finally withdrew its protest on Friday, saying the movie glorifies Rajput valour. 

A few of the Sena's members had watched the movie in Mumbai on Friday, after which the announcement was made. The instructions to watch the movie had come from the sena's national president, Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi. News reports quoted the sena members who watched the movie as saying every Rajput would feel proud after watching the movie. 

The sena added, in a letter, that there was no "objectionable scene" between Rani Padmini of Chittor and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi. And added that the outfit would now help get the movie released in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa. 

The Sena had earlier said the movie disrespected the Rajputs, and was especially worried about a rumoured dream sequence between Khilji and Padmini. 

Padmaavat movie review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali's visually grand historical saga

The protests against the movie had begun in January 2016 when the film's set was attacked in Jaipur. The director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had been manhandled too. 

The movie was then banned by four governments -- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, who said they were worried about violence breaking out -- but the ban was revoked by the Supreme Court. The court had told the four governments that It was their duty to ensure law and order. 

The movie finally released on January 25, after the Central Board of Film Certification asked the movie's makers to change its name to Padmaavat from the earlier Padmavati. 

The movie however was not screened in four states -- Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa -- where cinema hall owners said they were too scared, again because of the threat of violence, to show the film.