'No objectionable scenes in Padmavati', says Bansali

Clarifying his stand on his upcoming flick 'Padmavati', director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has said that the periodic film shows no objectionable scenes between Rani Padmavati and Muslim king Allauddin Khilji, while expressing confidence that the people of Mewar would be proud of the movie made on their 'revered queen'.

Workers of Rajput Karni Sena created ruckus and assaulted the filmmaker on the sets of 'Padmavati' in Jaipur's Nahargarh Fort on Friday, claiming that the film portrayed a much-celebrated Rajput queen in 'poor light'.

The official statement of the team said, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali has shot two films in Jaipur and despite his love for Rajasthan, for the safety of his crew, we have decided to stop the shoot and leave the city post the shocking incident where miscreants damaged property and misbehaved with the crew on the shoot of 'Padmavati'."

"He was inspired by the beautiful and courageous queen and is making a feature film on the story. We clarify that there is no dream sequence or any objectionable scene between Rani Padmavati and Allauddin Khilji. We have been carefully researching and making the film," it added.

The 'Bajirao Mastani' director has earlier directed the opera "Padmavati", which opened to packed houses in Paris and received glowing response. It was then that he decided to make a film on the courageous queen.

Expressing gratefulness to the authorities of Jaipur who responded promptly and limited the damage on shoot, the statement further said, "We are confident that Mewar will be proud of the film made on their revered queen. We do not want to hurt any sentiments and would appreciate if the local people support us in making this film and making their queen revered by the world."

The 53-year-old has called off his Jaipur shoot and has come to Mumbai after the vandalism on the sets of his film.

A day after assaulting the filmmaker, the fringe group set an ultimatum asking the filmaker to cut the obscene scenes.

The Karni Sena claims that Padmini was a proud queen known for taking her own life rather than submit to Alauddin Khilji, the emperor who attacked the Chittorgarh Fort.

The film stars actors Deepika Padukone as queen Padmavati and Ranveer Singh as the Muslim king Alahuddin Khilji.