When it rains, it pours, and there is no one better to vouch for the truth of this maxim than the makers of the film Padmavati. Over the last few weeks, a fierce battle of optics is being fought on public platforms that has cleaved people in two irreconcilable camps — of those who demand restrictions on creative liberty and the others who believe that creative expression is the bedrock of liberty. At the heart of the matter is an extremely important debate on how far and how long the artistic community will suffer the moral policing and censorship of cultural bullies. This is a question of immense repercussions, not just for the people, but also our democracy.

This newspaper has lent its unstinting support to the cause of freedom of expression, however, it does not have any tolerance for those breaking norms and subverting the due process. Sadly, that is exactly what Padmavati’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has done by holding a special screening for personnel of different media establishments. One can only suppose that the intention is to impress upon the media professionals that the movie has no inkling to the rumours so ominously doing the rounds.