Movie Padmavati Controversy - A case of Hurting the Sentiments VS Freedom of Expression

Recently one incident has created problem in Bollywood industry. This has happened with film director and producer Sanjay leela bhansali in Jaipur (Rajasthan) during shooting of the film Padmavati.

The history protector's crowd, Karni Sena forcefully stopped the shooting and debated and scrambled with film maker. These people were against the movie Rani Padmavati. They were accusation that Bhansali trying to Show wrong and negative character and destroying the image of great ideal Rani Padmavati.

Now this issue has become national debate and even those beyond the film fraternity have come in support of the film maker's right to make a film exercising artistic freedom. Some public figures have expressed the need to exercise caution while dealing with historical and heroic figures.

Mr. Giriraj singh is against filmmaker sanjay leela bhansali for padmavati shooting. He said there is no right to showing wrong or negative character of great, courageous and sacrifice lady. Some rajasthan local people are also angry with Rani Padmavati movie because of showing some wrong and negative character of Rani Padmavati, the queen of chittor in their film.

People said the Rani Padmavati was an ideal woman of Rajasthan. This film is shooting trying to portray wrong character of the Rani and the Rajasthan people will not tolerate it.

Rani Padmavati was the lady of sacrifice and courageous and to save her honor from invader, Khilji Rani Padmavati performed Jauhar along with 16000 other courageous women choosing to self-immolate, rather than be hold captive by khilji. Anyone destroying the image and character of Rani will not be tolerated.

It has become a case of hurting the sentiment verses freedom of expression. The constitution of India provides the right of freedom. Everybody have a right of freedom and expression. Whatever happened with film maker Mr. Sanjay leela bhansali. It was right or wrong? Whatever done by Karni Sena. It is right or wrong. This is the main question.

According to Indian history Rani Padmavati was a lady to be idealized for her courage and sacrifice. If somebody trying to wrong something with historical things and trying to hurting the people and promoting wrong message to society, it is a wrong thing. We need to care of our historical figures and maintain their dignity and honour. Portraying negative character of Rani Padmavati in a film means trying to hurt the sentiments and destroying the image of great historical figure.

The question of freedom right or expression and the filmmaker's right to make a film exercising artistic freedom does not mean, anybody can do anything, whatever he wants to do. If someone is doing something wrong and spreading wrong message to society and destroying historical image, we need to stop him to doing this. We need to safeguard our history, our historical past, our historical image.

The freedom of expression is not mean to do play with history and historical figures. The film maker's should care the public sentiments and their sense of history. History is the part of people's life and film makers should be alive to this when they try to portray history as an item of entertainment.

- Sanyog varshney