I stand with Sanjay Leela Bhansali: This is an attack on democracy, time Bollywood stirs into action

The broad daylight attack on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film Padmavati by members of Karni Sena, has ignited the fire yet again. On Friday, when Bhansali was shooting for his Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-Shahid Kapoor starrer Padmavati at the Jaigarh Fort, he found himself at the receiving end of Karni Sena, who staged an angry protest outside the shooting location, and also ransacked the sets. In a video gone viral, protesters are damaging cameras and other shooting equipment while raising slogans and spewing abuses in Hindi. What has been highly disgusting and left the nation shocked was when the mob slapped and assaulted the maverick filmmaker who was unarmed and at his vulnerable most, in the middle of the shooting.

Watch: Sanjay Leela Bhansali slapped and assaulted by protesters on Padmavati sets in Jaipur

The event turned so ugly that we stand with our heads hung in shame at such an incident in the world’s biggest democracy, the same land which has the world’s biggest film industry and churns out the most number of films every year, thus adding to a major share in the national GDP. But all this for what when filmmakers do not have their right to freely express their ideas on the celluloid, the harmless ideas that are only either informative or for entertainment.

Karni Sena was apparently not happy with the way Sanjay Leela Bhansali was depicting their Rajput community in Padmavati.

Bhansali has given us blockbusters like Bajirao Mastani, Ram-Leela and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. But he was targeted for allegedly using wrong facts in his film, the same film which is still under production!

This isn’t the first time Karni Sena has attacked a film. Earlier, Ashutosh Gowarikar faced the group’s wrath during Jodhaa Akbar’s shooting. And Gowarikar was among the first to lend support to Bhansali, calling it “shocked and appalling.” It didn’t take time for the entire industry to come out full throttle condemning the incident too. Karan Johar also joined him. After a series of tweets since Friday, KJo wrote something today. “Am exceptionally happy to see the support coming in from members of the film fraternity….#IstandbySLB ….this is time we need each other. 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!!!!”

National award winning Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was slapped and assaulted by a furious mob in Jaipur on the sets of Padmavati.

Anurag Kashyap, who has also faced challenges for his films in the past, had a hard-hitting response too. “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?? At the same time Shame on you Karni Sena, you make me feel ashamed to be a Rajput.. bloody spineless cowards .. Hindu extremists have stepped out of twitter into the real world now.. and Hindu terrorism is not a myth anymore,” he tweeted.

Also read | Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar stand with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. See tweets

It was payback time for Sonam Kapoor too. The actor, who made her Bollywood debut with Bhansali’s Saawariya, took to her Instagram handle and shared an old tweet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he said “Art can’t have any restrictions or limits.” She asked the PMO to intervene by captioning the picture as “A gentle reminder sir… a couple of days after republic day if we as an industry have to deal with such humiliation for expressing ourselves , it’s frankly very disheartening . Please stand up for us.. #padmavati”

Also read | Sanjay Leela Bhansali packs up Padmavati from Jaipur, vows to never shoot there again

The starcast of Padmavati, Deepika, Ranveer and Shahid also took turns to support Bhansali. Deepika wrote “In a state of shock!deeply saddened and disheartened by yesterday’s events!#Padmavati.” Ranveer tweeted “Whats happened is very unfortunate. We hope the people of Rajasthan will understand & empathise with our intentions & give us their support. Sanjay Sir is one of the most accomplished & authentic filmmakers we have in India, & he wont ever do anything to hurt anyones feelings.As a team, we are making ‘Padmavati’ keeping in mind the sensitivities and emotions of the people of Rajasthan and the Rajput community.”

Shahid Kapoor wrote “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. And my only regret is that I wasn’t by his side when this happened.”

Check out how the industry came out in support of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Padmavati.

In a state of shock!deeply saddened and disheartened by yesterday’s events!#Padmavati

— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 28, 2017

As Padmavati I can assure you that there is absolutely no distortion of history.#Padmavati

— 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

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

Sanjay Sir is one of the most accomplished & authentic filmmakers we have in India, & he wont ever do anything to hurt anyones feelings.

— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) January 28, 2017

Whats happened is very unfortunate. We hope the people of Rajasthan will understand & empathise with our intentions & give us their support.

— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) 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

We need to look deep within as a society, as a country, as a people. Where are we headed.

— 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

Am exceptionally happy to see the support coming in from members of the film fraternity….#IstandbySLB ….this is time we need each other

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) January 28, 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

What happened on Padmavati sets is appalling and heinous. Is this the state of the world.

— Sonam Kapoor (@sonamakapoor) January 27, 2017

Shocking! Appalling!! Despairing!!! And still, we shall not stop making what we want to!!
Sanjay stay strong! I am with you! #Padmavati

— Ashutosh Gowariker (@AshGowariker) January 27, 2017

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

Hindu extremists have stepped out of twitter into the real world now.. and Hindu terrorism is not a myth anymore

— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 27, 2017

In 2008 , this is what SLB said about how he looks at Padmavati..for those who assume what he is making without knowing the script are wrong pic.twitter.com/ksfBGe5MW0

— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 28, 2017

Also read | Attack on Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Will not allow ‘obscenity’ on land of Rajputs, says Karni Sena chief

Passionately defending its action of vandalising the sets of Padmavati and assaulting Bhansali, the Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, “Will not allow ‘obscenity’ on land of Rajputs.” He asserted that if history and traditions are not respected then nothing but doom awaits them. But point to note is, when this “unknown” outfit is not picking arms against a film, where do they hide and what’s their identity otherwise? Do they think Bollywood is a place to attain some light?