Veteran filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been assaulted by protesters who stormed into the sets of his next film, the period-drama Padmavati. The protesters marched on the film’s sets in Jaipur and manhandled the director and tore his clothes. The reason cited by the group was that they are “unhappy with the distortion of facts in Padmavati”.
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The film has irked a number of groups as it reportedly features a dream sequence with Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji in a romantic scene. According to a report in India Today, the security team deployed there had to resort to firing in the air to stop the violence.
The director told India Today that he was not injured. “Yes I am [fine], you have to go through this humiliation sometimes to make a film in this country,” he said.
Padmavati will feature Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmini while Shahid Kapoor plays Padmini’s husband Rana Rawal Ratan Singh. Ranveer Singh will play Alauddin Khilji, who is motivated to kidnap the Rani, Padmini.