AMN
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has termed the manhandling of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali as highly objectionable and said one cannot take law into own hands.
Mr Naidu said he has spoken with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and asked her to take necessary action. Bhansali had to cancel the shooting of his film Padmavati in Jaipur after the set was vandalised by a group of protesters.
Bollywood celebrities including filmmakers Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Mukesh Bhatt condemned the attack on Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Friday by activists of a Rajput community during the shooting of a film, and called for a united stand by the film industry to ensure safety of artists.
A group of activists force-stopped the shooting of Padmavati, being helmed by the National Award-winning filmmaker, by vandalising the movie set at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and also assaulted him, alleging distortion of facts.
“Am appalled at what has happened with Sanjay Bhansali….this is the time for all us as an industry to stand by our people and fraternity!!,” Johar posted on Twitter.
“Having been through many instances of turmoil during a film shoot or release…i understand Sanjay’s emotion at this point…I stand by him,” Johar, who recently faced the ire of a right wing organisation during the released of his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, said.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also exhorted the industry to unite. “Can once the whole film industry come together and take a stand, and refuse to be a pony that all … ride on?? “At the same time Shame on you Karni Sena, you make me feel ashamed to be a Rajput.. bloody spineless cowards…,” he said.
President of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India Mukesh Bhatt said, “The most unfortunate thing is that we filmmakers and creative artists live in a house of glass. We are always scared that anyone can come and hit a stone and nothing will be done about it. There is nothing done for our protection. I don’t know what’s the solution for this. Who do we arrest when it was a group? I feel enraged on just hearing about it. The whole film fraternity is with him (Bhansali),” Bhatt told reporters in Mumbai at the launch of his his new web series Maya.
The period drama, scheduled to release this November, stars Deepika Padukone in the lead role of Rajput queen Padmavati and features Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh. Ranveer Singh is essaying the role of Alauddin Khilji, the medieval-era Delhi sultan, who falls in love with Padmavati.