After manhandling SLB, Karni Sena now demands change in Padmavati title
Mumbai: The industry had extended their unconditional solidarity to Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the ace director got manhandled on the sets of his upcoming film 'Padmavati,' for alleged distortion of historic facts.
Rumours had been set afloat stating that the director had conceptualised a dream sequence where the infamous Alauddin Khilji would be shown being physically intimate with Rani Padmavati.
However, the director's team had sent out an official statement which squashed the rumours.
"We clarify that there is no dream sequence or any objectionable scene between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji. We have been carefully researching and making the film. In spite of this, the attack on the shoot and crew was uncalled for and was extremely damaging to the image of the beautiful city of Jaipur," an excerpt from the statement had read.
However, this hasn't ended the worries for the tam, which had to stop their shoot in Rajasthan.
The Rajput Karni Sena, a niche political outfit, has sent out four diktats to the team, to be religiously followed.
- The title of the film needs to be changed from 'Padmavati' to something more appropriate.
- No intimate scenes between the actors playing Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmavati are to be shown.
- No further distortion of historical facts under the guise of creative liberty.
- The Sena be shown the film before its theatrical release.
The CEO of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Productions, Shobha Sant, however, has clarified that it isn't within their jurisdiction to change the title of the film.
While the official statement has clarified that there's no existence of the scene in question or distortion of historical facts in the script, they are yet to comment on the Sena being shown the film before release.
It remains to be seen how Bhansali's team decides to respond to the surprise ultimatum.
'Padmavati,' starring Deepika Padukone as the eponymous queen, Shahid Kapoor as her husband and king Rana Rawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as the antagonistic Alauddin Khilji, is slated for a Diwali, 2017 release.
