Producers urge govt to take action over Bhansali attack

Mumbai, Jan 28: The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd has condemned the attack on ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali by activists of a Rajput organisation, Shree Rajput Karni Sena, on the sets of his upcoming film "Padmavati" in Jaipur. It has also urged the Indian government to take "immediate steps" against "miscreants".The activists assaulted Bhansali on Friday, slapped him and tore up his shirt. Guild President Siddharth Roy Kapur said in a statement: "As President of The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd and speaking on behalf of the entire film industry, I strongly condemn the acts of vandalism on the sets of Padmavati as a direct attack on freedom of expression in our democracy. "The film industry has become the softest target for any fringe group looking for media attention, and we need the strongest possible intervention from the concerned authorities to end this and to end it now. Kapur further went on and added: "We stand united and unflinching in our support of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and urge the Government of India and the state government of Rajasthan to take immediate steps to ensure the strongest possible punitive action is taken against these miscreants, so it serves as a deterrent in preventing the recurrence of such unacceptable events in the future."The Guild has made a plea to the concerned ministries and authorities to promptly initiate measures against these elements to send out a strong message to other misinformed individuals and bodies that such acts will not be tolerated in the future and thereby provide a timely deterrent against the repetition of these unacceptable incidents.Bhansali, whose 2015 release "Bajirao Mastani" was also criticised by a section of the society for "distorting" history, was shooting some shots of "Padmavati" in Jaigarh Fort. "Padmavati" tells the story of Alauddin Khilji, the medieval-era Delhi ruler, who fell in love with Rajput queen Padmavati. Actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor star in the film.