Begum Jaan director Srijit Mukherji reacts to Padmaavat controversy

Pic Courtesy/ Srijit Mukherji Instagram Account

National Award winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has said that a fear of violence now exists in the minds of filmmakers and writers post the release of 'certain' flicks and books. "In case I take up certain work my plea will be - don't burn us, don't behead us. If you troll us fine, maybe there can be a peaceful demonstration in front of our house, this much," Srijit said in the wake of protests and agitations over the screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat in many parts of the country.

" .... Getting offended has sort of become a national pastime," Srijit, who was present at the sets of Padmaavat, said at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet yesterday evening. Srijit shared the podium with Arnab Roy, the US-based writer of the thriller 'The Mahabharata Murders'. "I loved the way Arnab developed the story. After reading it I had expressed my concern to him about possible violence after its release," he said.

Srijit, the director of 'Jaatishwar' and 'Chotushkone' said film adaptations of literary works are sometimes better than the original. "I can name some like 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' and 'Saptapadi' and I think in such cases the film fraternity has redeemed itself." The filmmaker should stick to the essence of the story he is dealing with. "People tend to get divided when a film is adapted from a book with one group questioning why some contents of the book were changed and the other asking why nothing was changed in the film," he said.

"I have faced this from the fans of writer Sunil Gangopadhyay whose 'Kakababu' series I had taken up ('Yeti Obhijaan' and 'Mishawr Rawhoshyo') for adaptation in two films," Srijit said. "My third 'Kakababu' series film - 'Kakababur Protyabarton' will have a mixed approach. There will be loyal adaptations in some parts and some cinematic changes for the sake of scripting," he said.

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