Bhansali slap-gate: KTS Tulsi hints at agitators being 'misled'

KTS Tulsi firmly refuted all allegations that the script of the film was meddling with history

Following the stir caused by the assault on noted director Sanjay Leela Bhansali over his upcoming Indian period drama 'Padmavati', Senior Advocate of Supreme Court KTS Tulsi offered his support to the director and called out the mischief-makers who had misled the crowd and resorting to violent methods to demonstrate their objection.

Speaking to ANI, KTS Tulsi, Senior advocate of Supreme Court firmly refuted all allegations that the script of the film was meddling with history, adding that all period films are to an extent a dramatisation of an event.

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali has himself clarified, that there is no intimate scene between Padmini and Khilji," he said.

Accusing the director of distorting the history of Queen Padmini and her contribution to Rajput history, a Hindu extremist group, Rajput Karni Sena launched the attack on the director and the movie set on Friday.

Criticising Sena's mode of objection Tulsi said, "Somebody seems to have misled the crowd. This is not how culture is preserved.

Supporting an artist's creative liberty he added, "Culture is preserved by tolerance and knowing that there is certain latitude that is enjoyed by artists.

Bhansali was manhandled by protestors in broad daylight and alleged that the film has love scenes between Queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, played by actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

Defending his actions the founder of Rajput Karni Sena Lokendra Singh Kalvi said, that the Friday fiasco was an act of provocation, and that no manhandling of history would be tolerated by the Sena.

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'.

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'."

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