The possibility of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial new film opening in Britain has prompted threats against British cinemas and film fansAcclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed an operatic version of a Sufi poem Padmavat at the Châtelet theatre in Paris in 2008. He’s now turned that into a film,starring one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, Deepika Padukone. Padmavati was due to open in cinemas on 1 December. However, or it’s currently embroiled in a controversy that has spilled over to the UK.
It all started in January when Bhansali was assaulted during the filming by a mob consisting of Karni Sena members,a Rajput caste group. In Padmavati, the Rajput queen Padmini chose to kill herself by self-immolation rather than be captured by the Muslim sultan, or Alauddin Khilji. It’s a tale that has become a key fraction of Rajput history,despite miniature evidence that Queen Padmini actually existed. However, when it was rumoured that Bhansali had included a dream sequence depicting a romance between Queen Padmini and Khilji, and which he refuted multiple times,the Karni Sena objected to the alleged distortion of history in the name of art. Related: Indian film Padmavati sparks protests over 'Hindu-Muslim romance' Related: The murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh shows India descending into violence | Mari Marcel Thekaekara Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com