SHAHID FEELS THAT CREATIVE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SCARED
His film, Padmavati, might be mired in controversies and awaiting a release date, but actor Shahid Kapoor says creative people should not be scared as art does not come from a space of fear.
Various Rajput groups and political leaders have accused Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history by filming a romantic dream sequence between Rajput queen Padmini and Sultan Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by the filmmaker. Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone have also received death threats.
Seeing the scenario, would Shahid avoid taking up a period film in the future? “Udta Punjab was not a period film, [yet] there was so much controversy around it. I don’t think creative people should be scared, because you can’t create if you are constricted. You can’t create unless you feel liberated and open, and I think art is a reflection of society at large.”
The actor adds that it is important to express oneself with a certain sense of freedom, especially in a democracy. “Everybody is concerned, the whole fraternity has expressed a lot of concern because there is enough that you deal with when your film is coming out, there are issues like piracy and there are a lot of other issues, larger issues that one is dealing with,” says Shahid, who is grateful to everyone who came out in the support of the film, which was earlier scheduled for a December 1 release, but has been deferred till the makers receive a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.
Asked about the release date, Shahid says he does not know it yet, but insists that a lot is on stake.“When a film releases, it is a very vulnerable product, we don’t like to hold on to a ready film for too long because piracy can happen, something can get leaked, and you’re really trying to keep that together,” he says.