14 November,2017 07:57 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
BJP’s veteran legislator, Subramanian Swamy became the latest politician to express his opinions on the film 'Padmavati' as he questioned the lead actress, Deepika Padukone’s motives, in a series of tweets
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film, âPadmavati' has forayed well into troubled political waters, with senior national leaders joining the debate. BJP's veteran legislator, Subramanian Swamy became the latest politician to express his opinions on the film as he questioned the lead actress, Deepika Padukone's motives in a series of tweets on Tuesday.
The attack on the actress came after Padukone spoke about the ongoing controversy surrounding âPadmavati' in an interview with The Times of India, and said, "It's appalling, it's absolutely appalling. What have we gotten ourselves into? And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed." She added, ""The only people we are answerable to is the censor board, and I know and I believe that nothing can stop the release of this film."
In response, Subramanian Swamy, who is known for his persuasive views, tweeted out, "Cine actress Deepika Padukone giving us lecture on regression!! Nation can progress only when it is a regression from her perspective." The remark was then compounded with questions on the actress' citizenship.
Reinforcing his previous comments on the matter, the BJP leader went on to retweet another user's remarks, which stated, "She's a Dutch citizen." The statement refers to the fact that the Deepika Padukone was born in Denmark and continues to hold a Dutch passport. She has, however, spent most of her life in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, the film has received encouragement from the film fraternity, with industry bigwigs like Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Javed Akhtar and others coming out in support. While Bollywood calls out for freedom of expression, political outfits have challenged the historical facts presented in Bhansali's film.
According to members of protesting groups, Padmavati is based purely on the poetic imagery by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, "Padmawat" and not on historical facts. A plea in the Supreme Court calling for a halt in the release of the movie was rejected.
