Entertainment
No cuts ordered, only five modifications: CBFC chief on ‘Padmavati’
Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not suggested any cuts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati”, but has asked for five modifications for the movie to get a U/A certificate, censor board chairperson Prasoon Joshi clarified on Saturday.
Uncertainty has been looming large over the movie’s release since a few months, but on Saturday, CBFC — following a examining committee meeting — said it has decided to give a U/A certificate to the movie subject to modifications.
Setting the record straight, Joshi told IANS via email: “There are no cuts suggested in this film by CBFC, only five modifications.”
He said they have asked the makers to change the disclaimer “clearly to one that does not claim historical accuracy”.
Regarding the film’s title “Padmavati”, Joshi said the discussed change is to “Padmavat” as the filmmakers have attributed their material/creative source as the fictional poem “Padmavat” and not history.
CBFC has also asked the makers to modify the song “Ghoomar” to make the depiction befitting the character being portrayed.
That apart, they have demanded modification in the “incorrect/misleading reference to historical places”, Joshi said.
Additionally, they have asked the makers to “add a disclaimer which clearly makes the point that the film in no manner subscribes to the practice of Sati or seeks to glorify it”.
Joshi said these suggested changes “are completely in agreement with the filmmakers — the producers and director of the film”.
“Padmavati”, backed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, is directed by Bhansali and features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapur in lead roles.
The film, which was to release on December 1, has been embroiled in controversy over alleged distortion of facts regarding Rajput history, with Rajput outfits and some backed by the BJP, actively protesting its release.
A Parliamentary committee summoned Bhansali in November to resolve the issue, and the filmmaker had clarified that the “controversy over the film is based on rumours”.
“I have not distorted facts. The film is based on a poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi,” referring to the 16th century Indian sufi poet’s epic poem “Padmavat”.
The CBFC then set up a special panel to watch the movie. The screening was held on December 28.
Joshi was present along with the examining committee members and the special panel, which comprised Arvind Singh from Udaipur, Chandramani Singh and Professor K.K. Singh of the Jaipur University.
“A long discussion ensued post which the filmmakers were met as well. The members of the panel had insights and also some reservations regarding the claimed historical events and socio-cultural aspects which were duly discussed at length,” Joshi said.
He said a special panel was set up “considering the complexities and concerns around the film” and “to add perspective to the final decision of the CBFC official committee”.
Joshi said the filmmakers, Bhansali Productions, “in a written communication to CBFC had themselves too requested for a special panel of historians/academicians and members of the Rajput community to view the film”.
Having a special panel was not a new precedent set by CBFC.
“(I) Can cite two examples; ‘Aarkashan’ wherein an eminent panel representing a concerned group was created and also in case of ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ wherein historical experts were called in.”
Overall, Joshi said giving the movie U/A certification “was an unprecedented and tough situation”.
“I am glad that following a balanced approach, we resolved the task at hand in a pragmatic and positive manner.”
–IANS
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Entertainment
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
International online casino Casino Days has published a report sharing their internal data on what types and brands of devices are used to play on the platform by users from the South Asian region.
Such aggregate data analyses allow the operator to optimise their website for the brands and models of devices people are actually using.
The insights gained through the research also help Casino Days tailor their services based on the better understanding of their clients and their needs.
Desktops and Tablets Lose the Battle vs Mobile
The primary data samples analysed by Casino Days reveal that mobile connections dominate the market in South Asia and are responsible for a whopping 96.6% of gaming sessions, while computers and tablets have negligible shares of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively.
The authors of the study point out that historically, playing online casino was exclusively done on computers, and attribute thе major shift to mobile that has unfolded over time to the wide spread of cheaper smartphones and mobile data plans in South Asia.
“Some of the reasons behind this massive difference in device type are affordability, technical advantages, as well as cheaper and more obtainable internet plans for mobiles than those for computers,” the researchers comment.
Xiaomi and Vivo Outperform Samsung, Apple Way Down in Rankings
Chinese brands Xiaomi and Vivo were used by 21.9% and 20.79% of Casino Days players from South Asia respectively, and together with the positioned in third place with a 18.1% share South Korean brand Samsung dominate the market among real money gamers in the region.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is way down in seventh with a user share of just 2.29%, overshadowed by Chinese brands Realme (11.43%), OPPO (11.23%), and OnePlus (4.07%).
Huawei is at the very bottom of the chart with a tiny share just below the single percent mark, trailing behind mobile devices by Motorola, Google, and Infinix.
The data on actual phone usage provided by Casino Days, even though limited to the gaming parts of the population of South Asia, paints a different picture from global statistics on smartphone shipments by vendors.
Apple and Samsung have been sharing the worldwide lead for over a decade, while current regional leader Xiaomi secured their third position globally just a couple of years ago.
Striking Android Dominance among South Asian Real Money Gaming Communities
The shifted market share patterns of the world’s top smartphone brands in South Asia observed by the Casino Days research paper reveal a striking dominance of Android devices at the expense of iOS-powered phones.
On the global level, Android enjoys a comfortable lead with a sizable 68.79% share which grows to nearly 79% when we look at the whole continent of Asia. The data on South Asian real money gaming communities suggests that Android’s dominance grows even higher and is north of the 90% mark.
Among the major factors behind these figures, the authors of the study point to the relative affordability of and greater availability of Android devices in the region, especially when manufactured locally in countries like India and Vietnam.
“And, with influencers and tech reviews putting emphasis on Android devices, the choice of mobile phone brand and OS becomes easy; Android has a much wider range of products and caters to the Asian online casino market in ways that Apple can’t due to technical limitations,” the researchers add.
The far better integration achieved by Google Pay compared to its counterpart Apple Pay has also played a crucial role in shaping the existing smartphone market trends.
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