Fear And Fury After Top Bollywood Filmmaker Suffers Vicious Attack

By Shakir Husain NEW DELHI, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Bollywood has reacted with fear and fury after one of its well-known film directors suffered a vicious mob attack in Rajasthan, India's desert state known for tales of chivalry and fabled forts. Sanjay Leela Bhansali was slapped and had his hair grabbed by protesters angry over a story line in his forthcoming movie. The Hindi film industry is no stranger to occasional protests over controversial content. It has seen vandalism, burning of film posters and ransacking of cinemas from time to time, but people beating directors and actors is uncommon. Bhansali was forced to cancel the shooting of his movie "Padmavati" at the Jaigarh Fort near Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, following the Jan 27 attack by a caste group called Shree Rajput Karni Sena. 'Sena' literally means 'army' and there are many self-styled Senas espousing various causes in India. The Rajasthan protesters were enraged over a perceived "distortion of facts" in the period drama that tackles the subject of emperor Alauddin Khilji's interest in queen Padmavati. Bhansali has refuted the allegation that the movie, which features top stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, has an intimate love scene. "We clarify that there is no dream sequence or any objectionable scene between Rani Padmavati and Allauddin Khilji," the filmmaker said in a statement. The Karni Sena warned that it would not allow "obscenities" against Rajput icons. According to a narrative, instead of submitting to Khilji, the Turkic Sultan of Delhi, Padmavati took her own life in a custom known as "jauhar" to protect her honour when the emperor launched an attack to capture the region of Chittorgarh in 1303. While the account of the Chittorgarh battle is considered true, the legend of Padmavati is disputed. Many historians say Padmavati is a fictional figure that originated in an epic poem by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the 16th century. "There are stories in every country, but they cannot be accepted as part of history. England has a story of Robin Hood, but it was never treated as history. But in our country, myths and stories are given a status of history," historian Irfan Habib was quoted as saying in the media. Padukone clarified her movie role in a tweet: "As Padmavati I can assure you that there is absolutely no distortion of history." Her co-star Singh appealed for understanding. "As a team, we are making 'Padmavati' keeping in mind the sensitivities and emotions of the people of Rajasthan and the Rajput community," he said. Many in the entertainment industry have reacted with anger over what they see as a growing trend of vigilantism and hooliganism. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said he was concerned about growing extremism, fanned by people with political agendas. "We are living in the times where everyone who does not read or research knows more truth than those who have spent a lifetime doing it," he said. Hansal Mehta, another filmmaker, urged people to wake up and acknowledge the problem of violent extremism. "The political environment in our country is encouraging for fringe elements and the attack on cultural freedom," Mehta said. The Film and Television Producers Guild of India asked the government for a "timely deterrent against the repetition of these unacceptable incidents." Calls for unity reverberated in Mumbai, the home of India's Hindi film industry. Film star Farhan Akhtar pleaded that "if we do not unite now against these recurring incidents of bullying, it's going to get much worse", while Karan Johar said "no member of our industry should be silent on this matter". There are many examples of the film industry succumbing to arm-twisting, coercion and street violence in the past in Mumbai. Bollywood produces endless scripts of heroism, but in real life it tends to lose its battles to those who have little respect for law and order. India considers the mass appeal of its films as a tool of soft power abroad, while at home the industry is seen as a soft target by vigilantes. -- BERNAMA