Village of poet who wrote Padmavat wants Bhansali to share profit from the film

The villagers of the Sufi poet who originally wrote Padmavat, the poem on which Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmaavat is said to be based, have demanded that the producers share a portion of the earnings with them.

Jais or Jayas which falls in Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi. Now the residents want their pound of flesh, reported The Asian Age.

“Since the film is based on Padmavat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali should announce a share of the profit for Jais so that the Jaisi Memorial can be renovated. This town has a school in the name of Jaisi, a research institute, a poorly maintained park and a lone wall that remains from his 16th-century house. If Bhansali gives the money, we can restore the lost glory of the place,” said Mohd Ashraf, a local resident was quoted in the report.

The villagers believe that if the controversy-ridden movie is truly based on Jayasi’s poem then there shouldn’t be anything objectionable in it. One of the villagers, RK Srivastava, said in the report that Jayasi believed in Hindu-Muslim unity and his poem reflects the theme very strongly.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to roll back its January 18 order allowing the screening of Padmaavat in theatres across India.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments had submitted a plea requesting the apex court to recall its order on the grounds that its release would create "law and order" problems in the two states.

Padmaavat is set to release in theatres on Thursday, however, multiple fringe groups have announced massive protests and asked the authorities to stop its release.