Padmavati is based on a 1540 poem by the Sufi writer Malik Muhammad Jaysi. In the UK, the charity is upset because it believes the film has been falsely presented as historically accurate. Specifically, they believe, it wrongly places Padmini as the “motive behind the Chittor siege in 1303”. They say the siege was part of an imperial push by the Muslim forces and a contemporaneous account does not mention Padmavati, who was added in later tellings.

“Padmavati is a revered figure in India and she represents the national pride like Marianne in France and King Arthur in GB,” Rajput Samaj of UK wrote to the BBFC. “Efforts of [the] directors to glorify Alauddin Khilji are similar to glorifying Isis terrorists for killing and enslaving Yazidi girls in this modern world. We must stand up against the glamorisation of plundering, looting, and other barbaric acts.”

The charity told the BBFC: “We understand that experts can judge the violence, language, and scene but we need to find the right historians who can watch the film and stop the character assassination of Indian icons.”

The Hindu extremist group, Karni Sena, threatened to torch any British cinema that screened the film. The Indian censor is still considering whether to approve it for release there.

However, the decision of the UK authorities to approve the film prompted a leader from Karni Sena to threaten to take their campaign to the UK.

“Every theatre screening Padmavati will be burned,” Sukhdev Singh told the Mumbai-based Republic TV. I myself wanted to go [to the UK] to protest but the Indian government has confiscated my passport.”

It is unlikely, however, that the Karni Sena, a fringe group in India, has members in the UK and Rajput Samaj of UK was keen to stress it did not back calls for violence.

Though few people outside its cast and crew have seen the film, rumours that it included an intimate dream sequence between Padmini and the invading king have fuelled months of violent protests across India.

Rajputs, a traditional warrior community to which Padmini was said to belong, have been particularly outraged by the film and by clips of Padukone dancing and showing her midriff, which they say is a “distortion of history”.

The BBC reported on Friday that a body had been found hanging outside a fort in Rajasthan, along with a warning note mentioning the film that read: “We don’t burn effigies, we hang.”

Though historians say there is little evidence that Padmini really existed, she has attained huge symbolic importance among Rajputs. Bhansali has repeatedly clarified that the film contains no love scenes and tried to dampen the outrage by working with activists to cut parts of the film that may be controversial.

The Indian supreme court agreed on Thursday to hear a petition next week asking that the film’s UK release be banned.

Lawyers said it was unlikely the court could prevent an overseas debut, though the film’s producers have already said they would await the Indian censor’s approval before distributing the movie worldwide.

Hysteria over the film has grown as its scheduled December release date has approached, fanned by leading politicians including members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).

The party of the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, has regularly been accused of indulging extremist groups that share its Hindu nationalist ideology and who have been implicated in a wave of attacks in recent years, especially against Indian Muslims.

A BJP officer in Haryana state, Surajpal Amu, was asked by the party to explain remarks he gave a rally this week that he would pay 10m rupees to anyone who beheaded Padukone and Bhansali. At least five states including Punjab, led by the opposition Congress party, have also banned the film’s release.

Padukone has described the threats against her life as “absolutely appalling”. “What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation?” she said this week.

The actor, who recently starred alongside Vin Diesel in XxX: The Return of Xander Cage, is believed to have cancelled an event this weekend with Ivanka Trump as a result of the controversy. Trump is visiting India to speak at a business summit in Hyderabad.

Even as the controversies surrounding Padmavati continue to flare up instead of dying down, more and more people are coming out in support for either side. Among the celebrities that have come out in support of the film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and star Deepika Padukone, are veteran actors like Shabana Azmi and Kamal Hassan, but many prominent names haven’t made their views on the issue public. 

While Bollywood’s major stars, including the Khans may be wary of openly airing their opinion for fear of a backlash, that hasn’t stopped them from reaching out to support Deepika privately.

The controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s mega movie `Padmavati’ refuses to die with the royal family of Jaipur jumping on to the bandwagon. The release date of film Padmavati has been deferred. The voice of support can be heard from some corners of the Bollywood fraternity. 

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi took Twitter to express her support.

Ad film director Gauri Shinde said on Twitter. 

Actress of Anarkali of Aarah Swara Bhaskar also registered her support for Padmavati on Twitter. 

Some more…

Karni Sena is consistently threatening Actress Deepika Padukone and Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The Bollywood film Padmavati, based on a poem about a Rajput queen written by 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, has sparked protests across the country over “misrepresentations” and “distortion of facts”

Responding to the controversy, leading lady Deepika Padukone said, “As a woman, as an artiste, as someone who has worked and given two years of my life to this movie, I feel hurt, I feel angry , but I also think it is extremely funny that people are reacting like this to a film. I am feeling so many emotions at this point.”

Perturbed but not silenced, Deepika, however, continues to promote the film in her capacity. While talking to DNA After Hrs, the actress said, “I have full faith in the judicial system of our country. I know no wrong will be done.” She has received protection from Mumbai police and is currently function amidst high security. Mumbai police have even warned protestors to maintain law and order and abide only by the constitutional freedom given to them. 

BJP Leader threatens Deepika and Ranveer

The vitriol over Bollywood film Padmavati went up a notch as a BJP office bearer from Haryana said he would double the bounty on the heads of actor Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, to Rs. 10 crore. Surajpal Amu, the party’s chief media coordinator who made the announcement, also threatened to “break the legs” of Ranveer Singh, who plays the role of Alauddin Khilji, the Delhi Sultan obsessed about the legendary 13th Century Queen of Chittor.

After the most vocal group Rajput Karni Sena, which had attacked Bhansali in Jaipur and vandalised a theatre in Noida few days ago, now threatening to harm the lead actress Deepika Padukone by referring to the nose chopping of ‘Surpanakha’, few more shocking threats have been issued by outfits around the country.

Karni Sena President Threatens to chop off Deepika’s nose.