Protesters threaten ‘Padmaavat-like’ stir
BENGALURU: Pro-Kannada outfit Kannada Rakshana Vedike Yuva Sene on Monday protested against Sunny Leone’s casting in a multi-lingual film ‘Veeramadevi’ alleging that this was an insult to a historical figure and warned of a “Padmaavat-like” protest if she was not replaced.
A couple of youngsters also cut their hands with blades to “make people recognise” the seriousness of their intentions. The group’s youth wing president R Harish said it was not right to have Leone play a historical character, who had supported the cause of Hindus.
“Leone is popular as a porn star and such a person should not play a historical character, who is not only an icon of Kannada but also someone who built many temples,” he said. Activists claimed Veeramadevi had built many temples in what is now Karnataka and, hence, their religious sentiments would be hurt if she is played by Sunny Leone.
To press their demand, the protesters have vowed to disrupt a performance by Leone in Bengaluru on November 3. “We have bought at least 230 tickets for the performance, and we will disrupt it if she doesn’t stay away from the movie,” Harish said.
The protesters said they did not have any problem with Leone acting any movie or taking part in any programme that wasn’t about historical figures. “We are not against anything else, we just want her to quit this movie. Else, we will also have to protest like people in Rajasthan did against Padmaavat,” Harish said.
Meanwhile, Harish M, founder and director of Time Creations, which is organising the November 3 event, said it was up to the police now to ensure the security of the performers at the event. “We have taken all the requisite permission from the police and the authorities. It is now for those authorities to ensure that law and order is maintained,” he said.
Similar protests had erupted in December, when the KRV Yuva Sene had protested against an event featuring Sunny Leone on New Year’s Eve. That programme was cancelled after the state government had backed away from ensuring security at the event. On the November 3 event, Harish M said: “This is a Kannada event and we have even accommodated Raghu Dixit in it”, adding “The event comes under my purview, I cannot do anything about objections to a movie that I have nothing to do with.”