We had to be politically correct: Shahid on 'Padmaavat' row

Mumbai: Actor Shahid Kapoor today said the cast and crew of “Padmaavat” had to be “politically correct” as the film was embroiled in a prolonged controversy and that they had to keep a lot of “emotions” in check.

The actor, who played Maha Rawal Ratan Singh in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama, said the team had to endure a lot in “these past one-and-a-half years”. “We missed out on a lot of things. We had to make lots of sacrifices. We had to learn to keep a lot of emotions in our hearts for one-and-a-half years in check.

“We had to be politically correct. The film had to go through a lot. But, today we feel vindicated,” Shahid told reporters on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2018. The actor’s appearance as the showstopper, along with wife Mira Rajput who walked the ramp for the first time, for designer Anita Dongre’s collection ‘Songs of Summer’ was a well-kept surprise.

Shahid also quipped that the controversy surrounding the film had assumed such large proportions in the media that they did not need to promote the movie. The film, which is based on 16th Century poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s “Padmaavat”, got mired in controversy after various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, alleged that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali.

Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. The film starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid and Ranveer Singh was released on January 25 after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared it last month with a ‘U/A’ certificate and five modifications, including title change from “Padmavati” to “Padmaavat”.

Shahid rued the film was not released in some parts of the country such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, but he was glad that it was being loved wherever it had released. “We are very, very happy and grateful. This country has always supported good films and that’s what has happened. The love and result has been more than what I expected,” he said.

Mira said “Padmaavat” is one of Shahid’s career-best performances. “To play a character that does not have the support of many words is when your acting talent must really shine through. Shahid did just that with so much ease and you can see it onscreen,” she said.