Padmavati actress Deepika Padukone said she was shocked over the assault of Sanjay Leela Bhansali on set.
Lead actress of the film, Padmavati, Deepika Padukone says she is in a "state of shock" over the
assault on the the film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the shooting in Jaipur.
Mr Bansali was slapped and his hair was pulled by protesters who alleged that the film distorts history. Members of the Rajput Karni Sena stormed the film's sets at the city's Jaigarh Fort and assaulted Mr Bhansali, filming the entire incident on their mobile phones. Reacting on the incident she clarified that, as the lead actress she vouched for no distortion of history in the film.
The 31-year-old star, who is essaying the role of Rani Padmavati in the film, voiced her views in a series of tweets:
The actress assured that the team behind the film is not distorting any historical facts and their aim is to bring on-screen the story of Queen of Chittorgarh, Padmini.
Other stars, none of who were present at the location when the incident occurred, expressed regret too. Mr Bhansali was filming with the secondary cast. Ranveer Singh playing antagonist Alauddin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor playing the role of Padmavati's husband Raja Ratan Singh, tweeted their remorse.
Mr Singh said:
Mr Kapoor regretted not being by the side of the director when the incident happened.
The protesters alleged that the film has love scenes between Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, played by actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. The allegations are unconfirmed, but the Rajput Karni Sena demands that Mr Bhansali "delete such scenes". "We had warned the filmmaker against presenting wrong facts. When we came to know about the shooting, we gathered there and protested," said a leader of the group, Narayan Singh.
Padmavati, a historical drama, is based on the story of Queen Padmini, who famously refused to submit to Emperor Alauddin Khilji when he arrived at the Chittorgarh fort with his army. The queen killed herself along with scores of other women before he stormed the fort. It is set to hit the theatres in November this year. The director is yet to react on the incident that has angered the entire film industry.
(With inputs from PTI)