I Don’t Know What Karni Sena Was Protesting About: Bhansali

The filmmaker responds to Karni Sena now deciding ‘Padmaavat’ glorifies Rajputs.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is basking in the success of Padmaavat.

(Photo Courtesy: Youtube/The Quint)

On Saturday the very-active Karni Sena decided, in all its wisdom, to withdraw its year-long protest against the film Padmaavat.

Doing a 180-degree turnaround, they now say that the film glorifies the Rajput community and that they would now be helping the film get a release in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was understandably circumspect on the issue.

“I never understood what the protest was all about. I still don’t understand. I am just happy that the film has been released and appreciated widely. Of course we’d like our film to release in the states where it has been so far not been released. Isn’t that the least we can expect after all we’ve gone through?”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Director, <i>Padmaavat</i>

While Bhansali will say no more, a team member close to the film wonders why the Karni Sena suddenly decided to calm down. “It’s all bizarre. The flare-up, the film industry’s silence, the way Padmaavat was hounded, and now this sudden calming down of nerves after the film is released and the bogus pro-Rajput protests have been discredited completely.”