The controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmavati doesn’t seem to relent anytime soon. Ever since Bhansali announced the production of a movie portraying the figure of Rani Padmavati, various groups have accused Bhansali of distorting the history of the Rajput kingdom. The protest is being spearheaded by a Rajasthan based group called Shri Rajput Karni Sena. However, their protest and opposition towards the film have not only been limited to protests but also includes threats of violence to the filmmaker and the stars of the film. Last year as well, this group was responsible for the attack on Bhansali and his crew when they had disrupted the shooting of the film and also manhandled Bhansali. The strange thing, however, is that most of the goons who are opposing the film have not even watched the film. The recurrent attacks and assaults on artists are not something new and have been there during Congress regime also. Salman Rushdie and MF Hussain are some of the names who have been forced to forego their artistic freedom and have been hounded by the violent groups with impunity.
