If director Sanjay Leela Bhansali thought the only thing he had to worry about in the days following up to the release of his epic historical romance Bajirao Mastani was its clash at the box office with the SRK’s Dilwale, he better think again. The highly anticipated Deepika-Raveer starrer based on the life of Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao has recently landed into controversy with a descendent of the ruler alleging that facts have been ‘altered’ in the portrayal of Bajirao’s life as well as that of his two wives, Kashibai and Mastani.
“It has been found out that the said cinema in the name of cinematic liberty has altered original history,” wrote Bajirao’s descendant Prasadrao Peshwe in a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, calling on the state to take action against the film. “The historical personalities are always a matter of respect. The picturisation of the said film, the historical references of the period and story appear to be perverted,” he charged.
He also criticized the song ‘Pinga’, which shows Kashibai and Mastani dancing together. “The Pinga dance form is an integral part of Marathi culture and has been transformed into an ‘item song’ and the costumes and dance direction are along those lines,” he alleged.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has yet to respond to this allegations but it seems they will have little effect on the film’s box-office prospects as the initial hype created by the lavish production value has cinegoers eagerly counting the days till its release date of December 18.
