Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati in fresh trouble; Hindu Sena protests, after Karni Sena row

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical epic Padmavati has found itself in the midst of a fresh controversy after another outfit — the Hindu Sena — protested against its depiction of ‘distorted history’. A member of the group reportedly also  issued a death threat ’to Bollywood' for standing up in support of Bhansali and his film, after the Karni Sena — which claims to represents the interests of the Rajput community — damaged his sets in Jaipur and roughed up the famed auteur. “If they shoot for Padmavati in Mumbai, we will go break the set in Mumbai too. And if Bollywood unites, we will not leave them too. This is a Hindu nation and we won’t let people demean our culture,” the Hindu Sena member was quoted as saying in media reports. [caption id=“attachment_3227278” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Ranveer Singh with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone[/caption] The Hindu Sena has dissociated itself from the threats issued by its member(s) and said action would be taken against those found to be guilty. At the same time, the group has also asked for a written explanation from Sanjay Leela Bhansali regarding the story of his film. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena  said that the decision of the Central Board of Film Certification would be final, but the filmmaker would need to accountable as well for any ‘objectionable portrayal’. Spokesperson Manisha Kayande was quoted by ANI as saying: “The movie is still being made and the Censor Board needs to be alert. And if there is character distortion of any gallant Hindu kings and queens, then definitely it is objectionable. Agreed that the Censor Board certificate is the final word but he directors and story writers also need to do their part,” she said. Previously the Patidar Sena had protested against perceived historical ‘inaccuracies’ in Padmavati. A report in  Ahmedabad Mirror, dated 20 September, has quoted Hardik Patel, the president of the PNS as saying that they wouldn’t allow Bhansali to shoot or screen his film in Rajasthan and Gujarat, unless he assured them that Rani Padmini’s portrayal would be historically accurate. The attack on Bhansali by the Karni Sena on Friday, 27 January 2017, drew widespread censure from the Hindi film industry. Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Sonam Kapoor were among those who immediately expressed their support for Bhansali. Padmavati actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh also took to social media to assure their followers that there was no distortion of historical facts in the film. Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav also condemned the attacks on Bhansali and Padmavati and said the team were welcome to shoot in their state. Padmavati was first staged as an opera in Paris by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in 2008. This is its big screen adaptation. Bhansali’s previous film — Bajirao Mastani — too was embroiled in protests over historical accuracy.