A PIL in Delhi High Court on Thursday sought to set up an expert committee of historians and social activists prior to the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama film Padmavati on December 1.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Akhand Rashtrawadi Party said that the committee headed by a retired Delhi High Court judge should include a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member to ensure there are no ''distortions'' historical facts in respect to Rani Padmavati of Chittorgarh.

The committee should ensure that no sentiments are hurt with the release of the film, said the plea.

"The petitioner has come to know from reliable sources that the movie portrayed an imaginary or fictitious character of Rani Padmavati and that there is a distortion of historical facts about her. No individual or a group has any right to play with the sentiments or emotions of any caste or community by distorting Indian history or a historic icon," said the plea.

The plea said the CBFC requires to examine/re-examine the movie's contents with the help of historians or authors with excellent knowledge of historical facts about Rani Padmavati so that wrong or any fictitious image of the queen will not go before people worldwide nor will any public sentiments get hurt.

The PIL filed through lawyer Puneesh Grover made the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, producer Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, director-producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, movie's scriptwriter and the CBFC as respondents.

(Source: IANS)