'Bajirao Mastani' in trouble, Shiv Sena urges Maharashtra govt to stop release of film

Mumbai: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious film – Bajirao Mastani – starring Ranveer Singh as Maratha Peshwa Bajirao, Deepika Padukone as Mastani and Priyanka Chopra as Kashibai, has been making headlines for all wrong reasons.

Ever since the teaser of the film was released, the filmmaker was criticised for ‘distorting’ historical facts in the name of creative expression.

The ‘Pinga’ song featuring Deepika and Priyanka didn’t go down well with the descendants of the Peshwas, who claimed that Mastani and Kashibai never came across each other in the manner as shown in the film.

Pratap Sarnaik, a Shiv Sena MLA from Thane district, in a memorandum submitted to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged him not to allow the release of the film till the contentious, controversial scenes in the film are not cut.

"The film be first shown to the legislators and then only the permission be granted for its release," Sarnaik said.

"Fadnavis in his remarks on the memorandum has asked the authorities to seek appropriate information and then take action accordingly," an official from Chief Minister's Office said.

The Sena legislator has alleged that lead actors in the film Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have extracted a heavy price for acting in the film.

Sarnaik alleged that Bhansali has produced the film purely out of commercial considerations and has paid no attention to the Maratha history.

Sarnaik argued that the Bollywood flick is not only being released in Maharashtra, all over India, but also in foreign countries.

"Hence those who are not aware of the deeds of Bajirao Peshwa, Maratha history and Marathi culture will be mislead into harbouring perverted notion. This will cause pain to the Maharashtrian community," he said.

The MLA further said the heirs of Bajirao Peshwa (I) and some social organisations have raised objections over the contents of the film and that there contentions have received no justice as yet.

"The 'Pinga' song picturised on queen Kashibai and Mastani and the 'Vaat Lavli' song in which Bajirao Peshwa (I) dances in 'vulgar' fashion holding his pony tail is not acceptable to the heart and mind of Marathi legislators like me," Sarnaik said.

The Sena leader demanded that until and unless no proper guidance and directions are not received from the heirs of Bajirao Peshwa (I) and historians, and the scenes that are causing pain to the Maharashtrian people are not deleted, till then permission for the release of the film should not be granted. 

(With PTI inputs)