Media Eye News Bureau: Actor Akshay Kumar has shifted the release of his upcoming movie PadMan to February 9 on a request from filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, to avoid clashing of the two movies on January 25. PadMan will now hit theatres on February 9 and share the release date with Aiyaary, the first film that had opted out of the January 25 release.
Bhansali, who is facing threats and protests for the film said, "Padmaavat is releasing after a lot of struggle. We know that January 25 was initially the date for PadMan's release, but Akshay is such a big star that it might get more difficult for Padmaavat to endure another battle. Akshay knows what we've been through and it didn't take him two minutes to give us the head start. He has a very large heart to exude so much goodness I will be grateful for a lifetime for what he's done."
PadMan co-stars Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte along with Akshay Kumar who plays A Muruganantham, the inventor of a low cost sanitary napkin machine. Padmaavat is based on the legend of Rani Padmini of Chittor and the film stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmini, Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor as Ratan Singh.
The film has been opposed by various Rajput groups and states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh who announced that they would not screen the film, despite the Censor Board clearing the film with five modifications and having the film change its name. The Supreme Court however, ruled against the ban in the states.
