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JAIPUR: A day after Sanjay Leela Bhansali was assaulted here on the sets of his upcoming period drama Padmawati, the award-winning director suspended the movie’s shooting and decided to return to Mumbai, sources said on Saturday.
Bhansali was roughed up by members of a Rajput outfit at the city’s historic Jaigarh Fort on Friday.
The mob comprising Karni Sena members alleged that Rajasthan’s history was being distorted in the movie the director was filming.
Scores of Sena protesters breached private security arrangements and stormed the fort at 12.30pm, raising slogans against Bhansali and the movie. They then attempted to stop the shoot by vandalising the movie set.
While the film crew and the producer’s private guards tried to stop the protesters, one of them pulled Bhansali by the hair and slapped him.
“Bhansali’s private security guards formed a ring around him in order to safely escort him out of the chaos.
The crew dialled the police helpline number and the Amber police reached the spot,” a police official said.
“The movie depicts love scenes between Rani Padmini and Alauddin Khilji. This is an outrageous distortion of Rajasthan’s history as the Rani-ji immolated herself along with the other women of the fort when they heard that Khilji was marching ahead to take over the fort,” Karni Sena state president Mahipal Makrana said.
“We will not allow anyone to peddle lies and cheat with the honour and dignity of idols at any cost [sic],” he added.
Police set up a meeting between Bhansali and the Karni Sena leaders after the incident. “Bhansali said the Sena’s allegations were unfounded as the movie did not depict any such scene between the two. We asked Bhansali if he would like to file an FIR, but he refused,” said a senior official who attended the meeting.
The film’s team issued a clarification that there would be no romantic scene between the characters of Padmawati and Alauddin Khilji, played by Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.
By arrangement with the Times of India
Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2017
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Comments (39) Closed
Jan 29, 2017 02:57pm
One must be careful while depicting historical facts...freedom of expression should hurt anyone's sentiments.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:14pm
No film makers have right to play with the emotions of peoples.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:30pm
The perils of Rumors/Ill-information.
Goto courts if u disagree dont manhandle someone!
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Jan 29, 2017 03:35pm
We asked Bhansali if he would like to file an FIR, but he refused,”
ofcourse, because its all a publicity stunt
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Jan 29, 2017 03:33pm
The real fact is the most beautiful Rani Padmini committed sati along with other ladies in the palace when her husband king Ratan Singh was killed in the battle... Allauddin Khilgi, was obsessed with the beauty of the Queen and he wanted to possess her at any cost and hence the war... Now the Bollywood director Bhansali Paid a heavy price for distorting historical facts... It is a lesson to be learnt in future for others not to hurt the sentiments of the people by distorting facts..
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Jan 29, 2017 03:36pm
History and people's sentiment should be respected .sadly- Bollywood care more about money then the history.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:38pm
Making film is fine.. but distorting historical facts isn't..
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Jan 29, 2017 03:42pm
I guess every Bollywood film plays with emotions. so noting wrong with this. But distorting history has no place.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:47pm
You can't pick a renowned historical figure then bend facts for your own benefit and expect the public to sit quietly. He did the same thing with 'Bajirao Mastani', where he distorted the whole antiquity of Peshwa Bajirao which is very unfortunate.
I don't think any community will tolerate any kind of contamination in its history or historical figure. I'd rather call this Bhansali’s another publicity stunt.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:51pm
Extremists in India rocked .... the whole world shocked.
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Jan 29, 2017 03:59pm
Historical fact should not be allowed to distort. You can twist the history for your own benefits.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:01pm
@Akram Khan
But we have cpec
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Jan 29, 2017 04:23pm
The merit of freedom of expression argument aside, there is a trend in Bollywood to make money on the outrage caused to people by misrepresentation of facts. While I do not support people taking law into their hand, but I dislike the attempt by mediocrities in Bollywood who want to ride on public outrage, rather than on quality of their films. No wonder despite making so many of films, hardly any film in Bollywood matches the international standards. Do we have directors like Ang Lee or Roman Polanski- the answer is a definite no.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:31pm
Good lesson for Bhansali and his likes for playing with emotions of majority for filling thier pockets, nobody cares about Bollywood solidarity.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:28pm
It's an interesting point to note that the more right wing a regime is the more they know the historical facts as facts rather than just historical documentation. Strangely when I was in my school years my English teacher noted my interest in history and tried to put me off it when he said historical facts are the greatest work of fiction.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:38pm
Filmmakers should be careful, especially when you are talking about history. But that still does not give the right to physically assault anyone. Attack on SLB cannot be justified.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:52pm
Stop twisting historical facts or face the consequences.
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Jan 29, 2017 04:59pm
@Faiza, agreed there is no place for violence in the civilized world. But SLB should have been careful given his experience in Bajirao Mastani, there were news reports of twisting facts for making things spicier and silent protests didn't prevent or help. Even the courts would have given SLB the reprieve citing artistic freedom..
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Jan 29, 2017 04:58pm
Probably I would never have end up watching this movie and would have not clue what went between those two historical characters but due this assault on film maker by Hindu extremist now I know some sort of controversial event happened back then which extremist were trying to hide. I wish Indian society wouldn't have gone on extremist path but it seems they have been hijacked by them.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:03pm
Rajput group vandalized set because bhansali is planning with historical facts for movie
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Jan 29, 2017 05:20pm
this is what happen when you try to alter the history badly in your story. No people will allow you to insult their past generations on the name of freedom to do in a secular country on the name of film for entertainment.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:27pm
No historical fact, not at all. Rani Padmini or Padmavati is a fictious character of epic poem 'Padmavat' written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. But this imaginary character has been so much mixed up in the local history that even guide of Chittorgarh Fort shows the Maharani Padmini Mahal & Jauhar ground of the Queen.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:27pm
A Bollywood films should contain 3 things: Entertainment, Entertainment and entertainment. . , And for this filmmakers don't hesitate to destort the real history. Bhansali has done this with Bajirao before, let us see what new things he makes us to learn about padmavati' history
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Jan 29, 2017 05:35pm
@Rahul Shocking! Instead of condemning the violence committed against the aclaimed director you are blaming him. One can disagree with the content of his movie or at most take him to court if he has done anything wrong. However, violence and support for it only exposes the illiterate mindset of extremist Hindus of India.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:44pm
All are happy. No case filed. History is unchanged.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:47pm
@Arun-KS have u been there ,read the history of that place , don't comment if u haven't ???
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Jan 29, 2017 05:53pm
Such an intolerant society INDIA is
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Jan 29, 2017 05:56pm
To the Indian commentators(citizen) who seem to be supporting the assault, I'm ashamed of you. People who support violence against an individual instead of legal measures belong to the same group of people who go on riots and kill people.
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Jan 29, 2017 05:57pm
@Badshah Dear Sir I have gone to that place and completely aware of the fact. Story in nut shell: "Queen Padmini was wife of Rajput King Rawal Ratan Singh. After defeating the King, when Alauddin Khilji reached the Fort for Padmini, Padmini had already performed jauhar (self-immolated)." But this a fiction, my friend. Talk to Historians or search on inter-net.
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Jan 29, 2017 06:17pm
Well if he tried to dishonour the Honourable Maha Rani in this Film he got what he deserved,as a Pakistani Punjabi even i know about this proud and honourable Maha Rani.
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Jan 29, 2017 06:23pm
@Sympathiser ..I agree with you 100%.
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Jan 29, 2017 06:19pm
@Ahmed " Such an intolerant society INDIA is "
Yes , as an Indian I welcome such comments ...because of this the real India and it's judiciary is what it is today ...these are temporary but the foundation is strong...Brother do point out our mistakes,
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Jan 30, 2017 12:40am
First thing, this is not Hindu activists. Secondly, he deserved it for the other movie supposedly about Bajirao, a great war strategist reputed of never losing a single battle. Its easy to imagine what this brain-dead person would do this time, to get more profit.
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Jan 30, 2017 03:07am
@Arun-KS
Nonsense comment!
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Jan 30, 2017 05:16am
as per history Allauddin Khilji could never get through to Rani Padmini of Chittod. She was a brave Rajput Rani. As per their custom before the start of war the women of rajputs jumped into fire so that their men could fight the war without any fear of enemy reaching to their women in case rajputs lost ths battle. so if bhansali showing a romantics scene between rani padmini and allauddin it's a complete distortion of actual facts.
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Jan 30, 2017 11:16am
Don't bring religion into this. This is not a 'hindu' group. It's a 'rajput' community group. With Hindus in India being 82 %. Any sort of violence by any group will then turn out to be hindu
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Jan 30, 2017 12:36pm
Surprised to see most of my Indian friends are infact justifying the attack on bansali.
Karni sena who attacked him should apologies now as Bansali has already clarified that there was no alleged romantic scene for which he and his crew was attacked.
The same Karni sena has made objections when Johda-Akbar movie got released and they made same allegation for distorting the fact. Later experts agreed with Movie version of history.
Is Karni sena or similar kind of sena has became custodians of our history? Who gave them authority to enforce their version of history on everyone. Of-course, they are free to go to court if they indeed find there is some distortion in fact. Let's consult historians as they are the only know the facts.
Moreover, there is difference between movie & documentary. You have accept the fact that some spices are intentionally put in historical movies for entertainment otherwise there was no Rose & Jack romance happened in reality when Titanic got sanked.
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Jan 30, 2017 02:51pm
@amed please read about rani padmini on wikipedia before going into your wishful controversial event fantasy
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Jan 30, 2017 07:59pm
@Akram Khan
Remind us again , how long youtube was ban in Pakistan?
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