Controversial Bollywood drama Padmaavat has now reached cinemas following protests in India before its release, two of our critics have seen it, and they both have very different opinions of the film, which you can hear about in the video above.
A love letter to the Rajputs
The movie seems to be a love letter to Rajput nobility and valour, and both critics struggle to see what the protests in India by Rajput organisations were all about. Padmavati, a fictitious character created by Sufi poet Muhammad Jayasi, is treated in nothing but a positive light.
The movie has other problems...
But, one of our critics thinks that Padmaavat has plenty of other problems, such as its depictions of Muslim characters and its treatment of women. Arts and Life writers Saeed Saeed and Aarti Jhurani have both seen the film and here they debate its pros and cons (You can read Aarti Jhurani's full review here)
What is the movie about?
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, the film is set in medieval Rajasthan and follows the relationship between Queen Padmaavati and her husband and Rajput ruler Ratan Singh. Their kingdom comes under threat when attacked by Alauddin Khilji, the Muslim ruler of the Delhi sultanate. With Alaauddin driven by the desire to possess Padmavati at any cost, the resulting battle is nothing short of epic.
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Read more:
5 Bollywood films that faced controversy before release
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While you're here
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Neighbourhood Watch
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
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3 stars
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
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Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
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The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
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Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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