Filmmaker Sanjay leela Bhansali was at the receiving end for the second time in less than two months, as “30 to 40” unidentified activists both vandalised and torched the outdoor set of his forthcoming film “Padmavati” at Masai plateau near Kolhapur in western Maharashtra in the small hours of Wednesday.
less than two months after a group of Karni Sena activists roughed up Bhansali and ransacked the set of “Padmavati” in Jaipur’s Jaigarh fort, a group of activists barged into the same film set some time after midnight, caused extensive damage and place and also set the film set on fire.
Apart from indulging in arson on the “Padmavati” film set, the activists also set on fire several vehicles parked outside the film set. However, the fire was extinguished on the film set swiftly. Also no one was injured in the incident.
It was not immediately known as to the extent of damage caused to Bhansali’s film set.
The shooting of had resumed on a sprawling 50,000 sq ft set up at Masai plateau, 20 km from Kolhapur last week, after it had come to stalled in Jaipur’s Jaigarh fort on January 27 when as group of Karni Sena activists manhandled Bhansali and ransacked the set over the alleged distortions in the script of “Padmavati”, a film based on the legendary Rani Padmini of Chittor in modern-day Rajasthan.
like in the case of Jaipur incident, those behind the Kolhapur incident are believed to have issues with the “Padmavati” film script.
Following Wednesday’s incident, the State Government beefed up security in and around the “Padmavati” film set. “Earlier we had deployed one officer and five constables at the film set during day time. Now, we have upgraded the security and stationed one officer and 12 constables at the film set round the clock,” Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Deepak V Kesarkar said.
Kesarkar said that top district police officials had met and requested Bhansali to lodge a formal complaint with the local police. “However, no complaint has so far been lodged by Bhansali,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the film maker has temporarily suspended the shooting of “Padmavati” starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. In the film, Deepika is playing ‘Padmavati’ and Ranveer ‘Alaudin Khilji’. The film is slated for release in November this year.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Cultural Minister Vinod Tawde advised Bhansali not to take cinematic or artistic liberties, but to stick to facts in dealing with a biopic like “Padmavati”.
Talking to media persons, Tawde said: “Though it is a law and order issue, I have to advise the filmmaker not to exceed his brief and take cinematic or artistic liberties with the story. He should not make a film which fictional in nature but to stick to historic facts as far as possible”
“Since the film is based on history and there are diverse views as far as facts are concerned, Sanjay leela Bhansali should sit across with people who have some issues with the film script and sort out the differences,” Tawde said.