In a death blow to creative liberty, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was roughed up by a Rajput youth group called Karni Sena in Jaipur. The director was attacked for making a film on the life of Rani Padmini with focus on her affair with Allaudin Khilji. Not only was Bhansali attacked by the Padmavati set at the Jaigarh Fort was also vandalized.
The members of the Karni Sena reached the fort to stop the making of the film till the filmakker changed the alleged distorted narrative and things went out of hand. For Bollywood this is certainly a shocking incident where the creative liberty of the filmmakers stands at stake.
Shocked and appalled by the incident so many artists and filmmakers took to Twitter to show their solidarity with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Padmavati. They also condemned the horrific attack on the filmmakers rights and freedom.
Amid the chaos, an old tweet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral on social media in which he had written that art cannot have any restrictions.
“Art can’t have any restrictions or limits: PM @narendramodi,”
Tweeted PMO India when Modi inaugurated a new building of the Bombay Art Society in Mumbai. “Art brings our history to life,” he had said at the event. But the tweet is being massively shared on social media because of the incident that happened yesterday which is nothing but restricting art.
Here’s what the Film Fraternity has to say about the attack:
Can once the whole film industry come together and take a stand, and refuse to be a pony that all bullshit and bullshitters ride on?? — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 27, 2017
At the same time Shame on you Karni Sena, you make me feel ashamed to be a Rajput.. bloody spineless cowards .. — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 27, 2017
A film that is not yet made, but the whole world knows the script and what it’s going to be. Such visionaries.. waah — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 28, 2017
My fellow film folk, if we do not unite now against these recurring incidents of bullying, it’s going to get much worse. #IstandbySLB — Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 27, 2017
If u don’t like what he’s making, don’t watch his film. What’s with the violence?? Apart from a vulgar display of self righteousness..
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 27, 2017
And for all those so called protectors of history!!! Have you read the script of the film??? Do you know facts??? So then just SHUT UP!!!! — Karan Johar (@karanjohar) January 28, 2017
The Actors of the film Padmavati also took to twitter:
As a team, we are making ‘Padmavati’ keeping in mind the sensitivities and emotions of the people of Rajasthan and the Rajput community. — Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) January 28, 2017
Our only endeavour is & has always been to share with the world the story of this courageous & powerful woman in the purest form there is.🙏
— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 28, 2017
Our only endeavour is & has always been to share with the world the story of this courageous & powerful woman in the purest form there is.🙏 — Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 28, 2017
Our only endeavour is & has always been to share with the world the story of this courageous & powerful woman in the purest form there is.🙏
— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 28, 2017
Very very sad. Words do fall short and feel too little to express feelings. Violence is unacceptable. This incident has shocked me. — Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) January 28, 2017
Sanjay bhansali is a film maker who the country should be proud of. You will know when u see #padmavati the dignity he brings to it.
— Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) January 28, 2017
And my only regret is that I wasn’t by his side when this happened. — Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) January 28, 2017