Padmavati 'death' row: Madhur Bhandarkar demands investigation

In the wake of a body having been found hanging on the ramparts of Jaipur's Nahargarh Fort, along with a threat note engraved on the rocks in protest of the movie 'Padmavati', filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar on Friday said attacks and threats like these were not in the right spirit, and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.

"It's a very shocking news and I want a thorough investigation should be done into this," Bhandarkar said.

"These acts are not right and we condemn these kind of attacks and threats to actors. I'm sure that state government will take proper cognisance of this," he added.

The incident was earlier speculated to be a suicide case, but when the police reached the spot, they found a message written on the rocks stating - "We do not only burn effigies, in protest of Padmavati".

'Padmavati' has been in the eye of the storm following protests from conservative groups over alleged tampering with historical facts, a contention which filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has denied repeatedly.

The film features Deepika Padukone in the title role as Rani Padmavati, alongside Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

The release of the film, which was earlier slated for December 1, was deferred as the filmmakers were yet to procure a censor certificate.