Sanjay Leela Bhansali attacked in Jaipur, shooting of Padmavati stalled
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Police force was deployed at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur after Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked by Rajput protestors in January (file photo). Image credit: Post Staff
Jaipur: Some supporters of a caste-based organization Karani Sena went on a rampage at the set of Padmavati in Jaipur’s Jaigarh fort on Friday. They manhandled Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the movie’s director. Karani Sena workers accused Bhansali of tampering with historical facts in the movie and showing Rajput community in a poor light. They damaged the camera and other equipment forcing the film crew to stop the shooting. Police force was deployed at the fort to maintain law and order.
Bhansali was shooting scenes of the movie when supporters of Karani Sena reached the spot in the afternoon. They first sloganeered. Some film crew members tried to placate them, but the situation went out of control when they started damaging equipment. When Bhansali tried to intervene, they pushed him around and manhandled him.
Padmini (Padmavati) was the wife of king Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittor (now in Rajasthan).
Karani Sena leader Lokendra Singh Kalvi told The PinkCity Post they came to know that historical facts were being tampered with in the movie.
“Rani (queen) Padmini sacrificed her life in a ‘jauhar’ along with 16,000 other women to protect the dignity of her dynasty and the nation. The movie shows her as a lover of Alauddin Khilji, just to add some masala entertainment,” said Kalvi. Jauhar was a Hindu custom of mass self-immolation by women to avoid capture, enslavement and rape by invaders after defeat in a war.
Kalvi said that the facts were being distorted and glamorized.
“We won’t tolerate this. This movie should not be made,” he added.
Karani Sena had also protested against Bhansali’s earlier movie Jodha-Akbar.
After Karani Sena created ruckus at the movie set, a team from Amber and nearby police stations rushed to Jaigarh Fort.
Bhansali has permission from Jaipur district administration to shoot some scenes of the movie at Jaigarh Fort. The shooting will also take place at Amber Fort and various other historical places in the city till February 8.
A senior police officer told The PinkCity Post that adequate security would be provided to the film crew during the shooting over the next few days.
“We weren’t anticipating such a situation, but we will be prepared now,” said the officer.
