Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat. Courtesy IMDb
Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat. Courtesy IMDb
Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat. Courtesy IMDb
Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat. Courtesy IMDb

Padmaavat will get a limited release as tensions rise in India


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When the row over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat erupted last spring, no one could have imagined that we would still be talking about it nearly a year later, with the nation of India on tenterhooks ahead of today's release date and protest groups in no mood to compromise despite a series of concessions. 

The film’s title has been changed; several controversial scenes, including a dance sequence, have been tweaked; and it now carries a disclaimer that it’s not a historical account but is inspired by a poetic tribute to an imaginary queen by the famous 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

While audiences abroad will be able to watch it this weekend (today marks its worldwide release, including in the UAE), millions of movie buffs in India can't. At best, only a limited release (in southern and eastern India) is likely. With the possible exception of Delhi, Padmaavat is unlikely to be released in most of the northern and western Indian states, ruled by prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.  

There’s no official ban on the film, since the Supreme Court struck down orders issued by four BJP-governed states – Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. But cinema owners are not willing to take risks in the face of protests and threats of violence from right-wing Hindu groups. They claim that the film distorts history and presents Rani Padmavati – a revered 14th century Rajput queen famed for beauty and valour – in a poor light and hurts Rajput sentiments. 

Over the past week several multiplexes across India have been attacked by armed mobs and on Wednesday scores of protesters were arrested for acts of vandalism. Other incidents, mostly in Modi’s native Gujarat, have included blocking highways and stoning vehicles, even forcing police to open fire.

Lokendra Singh Kalvi, founder of Shree Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput caste group, said: "If the movie releases and there is violence, S Bhansali will be responsible. He created this spectacle." Raj Shekhawat, the group's Gujarat president, said: "We will not let theatres screen the film, and will burn them down if needed. While we respect the Supreme Court, we are very unhappy with the decision."

Exhibitors in two other BJP territories – Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – are reluctant to act. "All it takes to cause mayhem is for someone to throw a stone and we don't want to risk that," said Khem Chand, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

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Read more:

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5 Bollywood films that faced controversy before release

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The Central Cinema Circuit Association said its members would not release Padmaavat. Manubhai Patel, president of the Gujarat Multiplex Owners Association, said: "We will not screen the film till we get a directive from the state government. We are also demanding adequate security as we cannot put the public, our staff and our property at stake." 

Critics have alleged "collusion" between the Rajput Karni Sena and the BJP. There's also talk of an "unofficial ban" through a "janata [public] curfew", to prevent people from seeing the film. Kalvi has threatened to mobilise "thousands" of women for "jauhar" (self-immolation) to recreate the "valour" of Padmavati, who is said to have immolated herself to escape being captured by Muslim ruler Allauddin Khilji.

Padmaavat is Bhansali's most expensive and ambitious film and stars with Deepika Padukone, but its fate now hangs in the balance amid a culture of intolerance.

Pakistan squad

Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

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Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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