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Sanjay Leela Bhansali attacked by mob and Bollywood is furious

The director was 'slapped' and assaulted while shooting for his upcoming film 'Padmavati.'

28 Jan, 2017

Friday afternoon Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked by an angry mob on the set of his film Padmavati.

Bhansali was on shoot in Jaipur's Jaigarh Fort when activists of Karni Sena, a Rajput community group, assaulted the director for "presenting wrong facts about (Indian princess) Padmavati" and tarnishing the history of their ancestors. Times of India reported, "one protester pulled Bhansali by the hair and slapped him."

The activists interrupted the shoot and vandalised the set till the police came and took control of the situation.

When news of the incident broke, the Bollywood fraternity couldn't help but tweet in disgust. Many are beyond shocked and horrified by the event.

Priyanka is visibly upset:

KJo can't come to terms with what happened:

Farhan Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap ask the Bolly fraternity to fight against this atrocity:

Arjun asks the government to intervene:

Sultan director Kabir Khan calls the attack 'shameful':

Parineeti vows to stand by the director:

Sophie Choudry can't believe filmmakers are being targeted:

The Indian director is extremely angered by the incident:

Rahul Dholakia points the harsh truth if immediate action is not taken against this:

Anupam Kher condemns the attack but also indirectly points fingers at Anurag Kashyap:

The actor calls the Karni Sena activists 'gundas' for their hooliganism:

Comments

MJ Khan Jan 28, 2017 05:34pm

The line between publicity stunt and reality is obscure these days. Although i love SLB and his Bajirao Mastani was a masterpiece.

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abdullah Jan 28, 2017 05:49pm

Intolerance on the rise.

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Saif zulfiqar Jan 28, 2017 05:49pm

Nowadays everything is solved by beating the other party like BJP.

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Pathetic Jan 28, 2017 05:55pm

@MJ Khan what a preposterous comment.

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Thoroughthinker Jan 28, 2017 06:10pm

This is utterly shameful in the least. Need to keep history separate from fiction.

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Ishfaq bughio Jan 28, 2017 06:15pm

India was born secular and now being ruled by stupid some elements. First banned movies, then stop artist and now dosnt want let them to Make movie.

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rudraiah rajasekhar Jan 28, 2017 06:17pm

You just go and portray a beloved historic epoch in whatever way you want and get surprised when people react. It is the arrogance of artistic community who callously stamp on local sentiments and then expect the community to passively accept whatever garbage put out by so called artists. I think it is high time artist community show respect to the sentiments of people and stop complaining.

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Afzaal Ansari Jan 28, 2017 06:35pm

Indeed vigilance is required about presenting the ancestors history which is deemed to be more sacrosanct. But despite the conscious efforts, there is chance of personal attacks on the presentator due to his presenting gap and the audience illiteracy about the facts. This event is furious for it's nature without investigating the event.

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chodhary Jan 28, 2017 06:36pm

it all looks like a pre-planned publicity stunt. How on earth these activists of Karni Sena already know the whole script of a film that is still work-in-progress?

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Rashid Jan 28, 2017 06:45pm

Shining India

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Mani Jan 28, 2017 07:02pm

Welcome to Modi's India.

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Khan Jan 28, 2017 07:20pm

B-town is now realizing what happens when you do not stand up to bullying and aggression. When you succumb to calls of discrimination. B-town has great artists. SLB is one among many. But what happens when you fail to defend your basic rights as artists?

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Be Fair Jan 28, 2017 07:25pm

The hatred spread by some fanatics against Pak celebrities,have encourage the intolerantcy,and now they are beating their own. The relevant authorities must take action against all those taking law in hands,and award exemplary punishments.

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Syed Jan 28, 2017 07:34pm

Hindu extremists. Very narrow minded nation.

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Saif zulfiqar Jan 28, 2017 07:40pm

@Syed, This is happening in the largest DEMO CRACY country of the world.,

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Masood Hussain Jan 28, 2017 07:49pm

Will Modo Govt take any action against the Criminals?

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Asif A. Shah Jan 28, 2017 07:57pm

I am encouraged to see the film industry 's disgust towards this incident. I think the person who slapped the director should be identified, tried before the court of law and sent to jail for this unprovoked assault.

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Aijaz Jan 28, 2017 08:04pm

@Ishfaq bughio Utter nonsense, it has always been like that,

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Saawan Jan 28, 2017 08:16pm

@Huma Qureshi............. "my India is not so parochial ". Strange. You are in denial mode. Please come out of it, admit the reality and address it before it turns "ultra parochialism" Lynching of innocents people by mob, gang moleststion, height of intollerance, are the few example . Face the reality squarely n bluntly. Unless you admit it, you will not be able to correct it.

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Jawwad Jan 28, 2017 08:26pm

The condemnations coming from fellow artists are somewhat ironic actually. As if these artists did not know what's ahead for India and it's society. They all saw and kept quite when Pakistani singers and artists were being targeted. They were all mum when Mr. Puri took a stand and paid the price. Today it's their own. As a Pakistani I have always maintained this new wave of extremism toward Pakistan in particular and all other faiths in general will only consume India form within. This is just the beginning. Lines will be crossed in future.

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reena ahamed Jan 28, 2017 08:50pm

Why he is not filing a police complaint?

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Londonwala Jan 28, 2017 08:57pm

I have been to this fort and know some of its history. Any portrayal of incorrect history is unacceptable.

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Saj khan Jan 28, 2017 09:00pm

What has happened to humanity? Where can one express ones own feelings. Shame on the society that we live in . Sir I hope you recover and continue your works of art . And yet I'm a Muslim rajput!!

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Najeeb Khan Jan 28, 2017 09:18pm

@Syed Looking at history and current events with an objective frame of mindI find that extremists are the same whether Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Christians, or Muslims. So while agreeing with @Syed, I just want to bring balance to the comment.

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Citizen Jan 28, 2017 09:32pm

@Syed, freedom of expression has its limits, don't misuse it because you can do it, and if you do it, don't be under the impression that somebody else won't react

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Citizen Jan 28, 2017 09:38pm

@chodhary, are you saying they were shooting without a script in place?

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NT Jan 28, 2017 10:57pm

@Citizen we have to guess what 'script in place' means. lol

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Desi Jan 28, 2017 11:29pm

Stories, legends of my town, village, clan belongs to me, they define me, they teach me something about myself and I have not given any right to anyone to modify it. If you have so much creativity then create something of your own. If it's mine, I will protect it and I expect respect for my rights from you.

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Mahan Jan 28, 2017 11:34pm

I will not lose my sleep if our local Talibans slap me. This is what these low lives do to gain popularity among the extreme rightists. This shows that you are a good and a secular person that is hated by the (local) Talibans.

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Pallavi Tyagi Jan 28, 2017 11:39pm

You guys know who padmavati or padmini was!! Epitome of Beauty n grace! When the sultan of Delhi, "Allaudeen khilji"saw her, he was so smittened by her beauty that he wanted Padmini for himself. He thus decided to attack Chittorgarh. He believed that if he killed the king he could have his queen. The Rajputs fought valiantly in the battle, but lost. Alauddin Khilji, all triumphant when reached the fort was shocked. To his great dismay and disbelief all the royal women including Padmini had committed JAUHAR(self- immolation)...

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TIND Jan 28, 2017 11:41pm

Why these film makers do not comp up with the film story on their own rather than distortion of history and inviting public wrath. Film makers should not be allowed to play with sentiments of people just becoz they want to make money.

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manAS Jan 29, 2017 12:37am

History cant be changed to appease a section and make money out of it.Freedom limitations should be there

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akhtar hassan Jan 29, 2017 12:53am

This attack is really shameful. I hope Indian film industry is as much united when something is said or done against actors like Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Mahesh Bhatt and late Om Puri. I have a feeling that some people from this film fraternity have double standards.

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Maria Jan 29, 2017 01:03am

First it was Pakistani actors now it is you. Keep shining!

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Indian Jan 29, 2017 06:03am

There should be strict control on the content of the history related movies. It should show the real history.

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sangun Jan 29, 2017 09:57am

Manhandlig bhansali is not acceptable.....Film makers will twist facts to make money because real life is not as glamorous as what they'd want to look in movies. Imagine they made movies on your parents ....and full of sleaze. Is it acceptable to you?

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Boudh Jan 29, 2017 10:45am

@Syed a few people represents a country of a billion plus?! Ironically, it is obvious that it is you who is narrow-minded. And prejudiced if I may say so.

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ATif khan Jan 29, 2017 11:30am

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

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Aamir Jan 29, 2017 11:49am

There are promoters of unity and peace and there are people who preach division, hate and violence .. we have to decide which side we are on!

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Mohan-USA Jan 29, 2017 02:13pm

@rudraiah rajasekhar ...very well said.

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Mohan-USA Jan 29, 2017 02:23pm

@Saawan you do the same in your country

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Mohan-USA Jan 29, 2017 02:32pm

@reena ahamed ...because he did something which he was not supposed to. Showing something bad or something which is not true about a community in India is an offense.

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unknown Jan 29, 2017 05:01pm

Judging 1.3 billion people by act of 20 or less itself tell about narrowness of thinking of few people here.

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FromKashmirwithlove Jan 30, 2017 12:34am

@rudraiah rajasekhar you said my mind

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Vijay Jan 30, 2017 11:33am

@rudraiah rajasekhar I agree 100%. While I do not advocate the method of bullying adopted by the people there, I would still like to highlight that the historic facts are distorted as wished by these film makers for the reasons unknown to me. Their intentions are just to make money and thats all. They don't care about the facts of the history and then the same is portrayed in a wrong way. There is sheer lack of sensitivity by these film makers. SLB did same thing with Bajirao Mastani where he distorted the facts and made Mastani and Kashibai dance together which had never happened in the history. Only few protests happened that time as the crowd was decent and non violent. So by all means you gotta get it back if you are playing emotions of people just to gain some cheap popularity and make few bucks.

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JAIDEEP CHITNIS Jan 30, 2017 01:43pm

This is shameful, what has been done to SLB. It is high time they need to have propoer security on sets, Film producers need to factor in that cost. As for the govt response, it is unfair to expect Modi to directly intervene. What is the HM or the I&B Minisuer for ? I am sure Modi is watching them, how they handle the situation. It is also an oppo for them to redeem themselves. Else Rajnath and Naidu are appearing like buffoons. If they take strong action, they will be prominent. This small bunch of karni sena. is pathetic .Punish them hard instantly. what kind of a vote bank will they have, Vasundhara Raje should already habe initiated action against the,

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BNJ Jan 30, 2017 03:50pm

Violence in any form is not accepted but this is also true that Bhansali makes pathetic films.

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kunal majumdar Jan 30, 2017 05:39pm

Not surprised at Bollywood's selective reaction. Yes physical violence is unacceptable. Yes I don't know SLB's story. But the fact is SLB has a penchant for distorting history and original stories to make it a soap opera. Baji Rao Mastani was one such. Similarly Devdas. Nowhere in Devdas did Paro and Chandramukhi met. Yet in SLB's Devdas they meet and dance. Cinema being a powerful medium, the point is today's generation will remember SLB's Devdas and not what Sarat Chandra Chatterjee had written. That's the flip side of 'Artistic Licence'. The following quote sums it up: " The most immoral and disgraceful and dangerous thing that anybody can do in the arts is knowingly feed back to the public its own ignorance and cheap tastes" Edmund Wilson

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rienna Jan 31, 2017 05:07pm

@chodhary The activists of Karni Serna obviously just assumed that history would be tarnished without even knowing the contents of the script .

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Jim beam Jan 31, 2017 08:08pm

@ATif khan Heard it many times. Why don't you follow it first.

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