Padmavati: Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Katrina championing for Deepika’s safety?

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmavati’ has been subjected to innumerable controversies from the word ‘go’. Right from Shri Rajput Karni Sena to some BJP leaders, everyone has been behind the lives of the filmmaker and his leading lady Deepika Padukone. And what is scary is seeing open death threats being announced with rewards of as much as Rs 10 crore for those who behead Bhansali or burn alive Deepika. These death threats have forced them to beef up the security outside the celebrities’ respective houses. The industry has risen up against these threats and lent their support.

And speculations suggest that Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Kangana Ranaut will be travelling to Delhi and submitting a written letter to the government so as to lent their support to provide ample protection and safety for Deepika.

For those who came late, it all started when Shri Rajput Karni Sena realised that the makers were shooting a special sequence in Jaipur and they believed that there was a romantic dream sequence between Ranveer Singh’s character Alauddin Khilji and Deepika Padukone’s character Rani Padmavati. It was enough to create mayhem as they stormed on the sets and indulged in vandalism. This continued even in Kolhapur and the release date of the movie was pushed ahead from November 17 to Dec 1. However, things turned uglier when Deepika Padukone stated that nothing can stop the movie from releasing. Her one statement was enough to set everything on fire as some political leaders joined in with the Sena and demanded for a blanket ban on the movie. (Also Read: Padmavati row: Bhansali presents his point of view before the parliamentary panel)

Soon, we came across some of the most absurd and unusual death threats being announced against Deepika and Bhansali and the makers had no choice but to defer the release date from the original, December 1. Bhansali lent a clarification in a video stating that his movie doesn’t distort historical facts but it fell on deaf ears. Soon, the Supreme Court stated that no public officer holder has any right to place a ban on the movie and only CBFC has the right to judge it. Even that couldn’t help the makers as a complete panel of 30 political leaders summoned Bhansali to provide justifications on his movie.

Apparently, he was grilled for almost two hours where replied, “All the controversy over the film is based on rumours. I have not distorted facts. The film is based on a poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. We don’t intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.” Now, the panel has given him time until December 14 to reply about him showing the movie to certain section of the media. Anyways, let’s wait and see what really happens.

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.