Entertainment
Willing to screen ‘Padmavati’ for anyone after CBFC approval, say film makers
By Radhika Bhirani
New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati” are willing to show the epic drama to anyone doubting its content, but only on getting a green signal from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
“We are screening the film to CBFC as per established procedure and convention followed in the industry. Once a censor certificate is obtained, we do not have any reservations with screening the film to quell any doubts that are being cast on the film, although such practice is without a precedent,” Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told IANS in an email interview.
Viacom18 Motion Pictures has produced “Padmavati” with Bhansali Productions, and it will distribute the film in India.
The movie is embroiled in a controversy as some Hindu groups and political parties, including the Congress and the BJP, claim that the film distorts history and wrongly portrays Rajput queen Padmavati, a contention Bhansali has repeatedly rebuffed.
One BJP member has demanded that Bhansali be “tried for treason” and that CBFC should not certify the movie, while some want the movie’s release date to be delayed in view of the Gujarat elections, and then there are others who feel the movie must be shown to historians before it is given wings to fly.
The Rajasthan government is also planning to set up a committee to watch the movie.
Andhare is confident the CBFC will have “appropriate representation from the necessary quarters, historians included. We have no reservations on that count. We trust the CBFC’s judgement,” he said, as they await a CBFC screening of the film.
When is the film likely to be certified?
“We are looking at CBFC to do it soonest, to facilitate the planed release on December 1,” he said, underlining that as of now, there are no plans to change the release date.
What is their stand on the political uproar over the movie’s content?
“We have already clarified that all anxieties about the alleged depiction are unfounded. Sanjay has personally assured in a video that the film celebrates the Queen and Rajput valour, dignity and traditions. Contrary to perception, the film celebrates the classic legend of Padmavati and no creative liberty of the kind alleged has been taken,” he said.
The conjecture is that the makers have showcased a romantic dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and invader Alauddin Khilji — a claim put to rest by Bhansali as incorrect.
Distributors in Rajasthan are said to be wary about releasing the film after the brouhaha.
But Andhare said: “All our distributors are with us. There is nothing in the film that should cause any worry. It’s a film Rajasthan will be proud to watch once it gets smooth release.”
He is aiming for “a wide release” for the movie after securing the censor certification.
“We have full faith in CBFC and its chairman (Prasoon Joshi) and are optimistic that we will be able to release the film on time and it will be supported and loved widely by the people resulting in strong business. We have made the film with utmost sincerity and integrity,” Andhare said.
On Friday, Joshi came out in support of Bhansali, saying the CBFC respected him “as an individual and artist”.
“Padmavati” features a cast led by Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at [email protected])
–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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