NEW DELHI: As the protests around Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati” continue, Professor Ram Puniyani spoke on the controversy surrounding.
Puniyani, a former engineer and human rights activist that there is no distortion of history and it’s a part of fiction.
Several politicians and many Rajput groups have been up in arms against “Padmavati”, alleging that it distorts history by featuring a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali.
Puniyani said as Padmani is not a real character and there is no question of the distortion of the story and what is distorted is that the image of Alauddin Khilji.
The way the image of King Khilji, the Islamic invader is projected in the film as a cruel and full of lust is distortion.
The makers of the film, which features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, have deferred its release from December 1 till further notice.
BJP-ruled states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have expressed reservations about releasing the film, while Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has said his government will not allow “Padmavati” to be screened in the state as it hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community.