Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh and is expected to release on 1 December 2017. The cost of this film is Rs 200 crores. This film is surrounded by a lot of controversies and this film is also being criticized by various groups. In fact, a group of protesters had destroyed the set built for the shooting of the film, resorting to violence against the director. The protesters, who embraced the violence, claimed that Mewar was the royal king of the erstwhile princely states and that the film insulted Rajputana pride and heritage. The royal family claims that the film wrongly portrays Queen Padmini Padmavati, a symbol of pride, honour, beauty and sacrifice. Let us now learn about Rani Padmavati and try to separate myth from history.
Who was Padmavati?
The title of Bhansali's film is Padmavati, but the premise on which the film is based is different from the life of Padmavati. In this film, famous actress Deepika Padukone plays the role of Rani Padmavati, wife of Ratan Singh, the ruler of Chittor. It is believed that Queen Padmavati, along with thousands of women, had committed Jauhar or self-immolation in the Chittor Fort to escape the arrest and humiliation of Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.
Does Rani Padmavati really exist? Is there any historical evidence that indicates the veracity of this story, other than fictional works by these famous poets? The answer to this question is that most historians vary. Some historians who have studied Rajputana history during the time of the Delhi Sultanate claim that there is no evidence to confirm the existence of Padmavati. Other historians claim that the abundance of literature is proof that Queen Padmavati existed. They claim that Padmavati was the 15th wife of Raja Ratan Singh (King of Chittor) of the Guhils and that Raja Ratan Singh (Ratan Sen) had to face a siege with Alauddin Khilji in the year 1303. Although many claim that Padmavati existed, (contrary to popular literary accounts) Padmavati was not a princess of Sinhala Island (Sri Lanka) but was born in and around Bikaner. However, there is no concrete evidence to settle the debate.
Jayasi's Padmavati
Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, the author of some of the finest works of Awadhi literature, has composed Padmavati. This epic is believed to have been written in 1540 AD. Jayasi states in Padmavati that Padmavati (Padmini), daughter of King Gandharvasena of the Sinhala Empire, was the most beautiful woman on earth. Padmavati had kept a talking parrot. For some reason that parrot reaches Chittor and King Ratansen adopts that parrot. Upon hearing the parrot's description of Padmavati, the king falls in love with Padmavati and leaves his kingdom to go to Sinhala to marry Padmavati. On returning to Chittor, King Ratansen's wife Nagamati considers Padmavati as her rival and hates her a lot. On the other hand, magician Raghav Chetan invokes dark forces and hence Ratansen exiles him from the kingdom. Raghav Chetan vows to take revenge and meets Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji.
At Alauddin Khilji's gathering of musicians, Raghav Chetan tells and ridicules the Sultan about Padmavati, the most beautiful woman in the world. Khilji goes to see Padmavati but is denied a meeting due to the Rajput practice of women protecting themselves from strangers. Then he plays a trick and uses the reflection of the eye to see Padmavati. Charmed by the beauty of the queen, he invites the king for a meeting (to make friends) and takes the king captive. Then King Ratansen is freed by the brave Rajputs Gora and Badal. In anger, Khilji surrounds Chittor from all sides and the Rajputs have to face defeat, seeing this, Queen Padmavati immolates herself in the fort along with 16,000 women. Rani Padmavati's motto – Death before dishonor – served to inspire those who fought Khilji and his soldiers. Therefore, Queen Padmavati Rajputana is considered a shining example of bravery and honour.
On one hand we are unsure about the historical facts of Rani Padmavati, on the other hand the controversies of the film Padmavati have started to assume a more political tone. Various BJP ministers from Haryana, Rajasthan and other parts of the country are criticizing the director for misrepresenting historical facts and suggesting a romance between Khilji and Queen Padmavati. The film's director and lead cast have assured the public that there is no historical misrepresentation of facts in the film, but critics are still unwilling to remain silent.
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