Surajpal Amu’s threat was, according to the “official” story, the push that was needed for Padmavati’s financier and distributor Viacom 18 to back out of its December 1st release date and cool its heels until the threat could be mitigated. But some jaded observers of Bollywood are aghast for another reason: they are convinced that the bounty offer was a craven publicity stunt concocted by Padmavati's producers. Indian film producers I spoke with (who asked not to be named) suggested that at its huge budget of Rs. Somebody close by is going to take the hint and make a few phone calls… “Suddenly, there is a bounty on beheading Deepika Padukone, and an upping of the bounty amount from 5 Cr. Nobody takes the threat seriously, as it isn't coming from any dreaded organization known for any kind of violence, certainly not anyone who would [follow through on] a beheading threat.

Source: Forbes November 23, 2017 10:22 UTC