Kolkata, Nov 28 (UNI) The cinema industry in West Bengal today observed a " black day" by

stopping all shootings and switching off power to all indoor and outdoor studios to protest the restrictions on mega movie Padmavati in other parts of the country.

The actors, actresses, movie makers and technicians in the Tollywood joined together to protest against some of the state governments - Gujarat, Rajashtan and Madhya Pradesh - which opposed the release of the 190-crore movie, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The controversy on screening that the movie suggests a romance between Rajput warrior queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi sultan who was obsessed with her beauty. According to

legend, the queen set herself on fire after her husband was killed in battle to ensure that Khilji would not capture her.

The movie makers in Tollywood stopped shooting after keeping all lights in dark for some 15 minutes from 1200 hours to protest the attempts on curbing the freedom on the cinema industry.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently said the " Padmavati controversy is not

only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and

protest in one voice." The state government had also offered the release of the movie in the state,

she said.

Actress Indrani Haldar said " let the people judge after watching the movie why the government would interfere on the freedom of individual or in the film industry".

UNI PC AKM