Sanjay Leela Bhansali has his hands full of problems. The Rajputs in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are up in arms against him. They are threatening to not let the film be released in Rajasthan. And they could very well do that. The have the support of the Bajrang Dal and the Brahmins. And most importantly they have the silent support of the common Rajasthani. Because Padmini or Padmavati is a symbol of not just valour, but also an uprising against the Turks and the Mughals.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has his hands full of problems. The Rajputs in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are up in arms against him. They are threatening to not let the film be released in Rajasthan. And they could very well do that. The have the support of the Bajrang Dal and the Brahmins. And most importantly they have the silent support of the common Rajasthani. Because Padmini or Padmavati is a symbol of not just valour, but also an uprising against the Turks and the Mughals.
She is from the erstwhile Mewar kingdom, which is presently made up of Udaipur and Chittorgarh. Chittorgarh was erstwhile the capital of Mewar. This is the most respected kingdom, as Maharana Pratap was also from the same dynasty and he too spent his life embroiled in battles against Akbar.
The Bhansali situation brings forth a sense of deja vu for Rajasthan. It is almost like going back in time. The year was 2008, the director was Ashutosh Gowariker and the film was Jodha Akbar. The very same Rajputs were upset with the portrayal of Jodha, shown to be the daughter of King Bharmal of Amer (then the capital of Jaipur state). The film went on to be a success, the music was a chartbuster, but the cinema halls of Rajasthan never saw the release of the love saga.
Similarly halting the release of Padmavati is not too difficult for the Rajput and other organisations who are crying for Bhansali’s blood. It is just a matter of collecting the details of which multiplexes or cinema halls are scheduled to release the film. All they will do is ‘request’ them not to do so. And if it worked in 2008, it’s likely to again.
Bhansali has released a video clarifying that there is no love scene between Khilji and Pamavati, but there are no takers for this. They call it akin to the “ashvatthama hatho” (Ashwathama is dead but the elephant) statement.
One where he is not clarifying on the other issues. The mood, the sentiment and the political views go against Bhansali. He made promises to all and sundry while shooting in the state. He promised to give then a pre-screening, get approvals from historians. Now the only way out for him is to honour those promises or face the wrath.
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