Karni Sena to oppose 'Padmavati' screening if facts 'distorted'

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has said it will oppose screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' if facts are "distorted" in the film.

"Around 20 days back someone from Bhansali's team had called and told us to see the film, but we asked them to show it to historians and intellectuals. After that we have not heard anything from them," Lokendra Singh Kalvi, patron and founder of Shri Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS. His comments come as the first look of Bhansali's much-awaited film, featuring Deepika Padukone, was released. The actor plays Rani Padmini or Padmavati of Chittor, alongside Ranveer Singh who plays Alauddin Khilji. In January activists of the Karni Sena had protested and manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of Bhansali's 'Padmavati' claiming that the filmmaker was distorting historical facts in the movie.

They had also damaged some cameras and other equipments. Bhansali had to stop the shooting. "We will not allow distorted facts to be shown in the film at any cost, and will see to it that the film is not screened in half of India," Kalvi said. The Karni Sena claimed that they have got a big library and that in no book is it written that Alauddin Khilji, a powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate in 13th-14th century, fell in love with Padmavati or that he was her lover.

"They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable," an activist of Karni Sena said. In March some miscreants broke the mirrors in Padmini Mahal (palace) in Chittorgarh Fort where Alauddin Khilji is believed to have seen Rani Padmavati or Padmini. Shri Rajput Karni Sena claims that the mirror was invented years after 'Padmavati' lived and therefore it is a completely untrue story.