Actor Shahid Kapoor says he is looking forward to working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, the sets of which were vandalised twice by fringe elements opposing the film’s content.
“I am hoping to get back on set. And I am hoping that people will wait to see the movie before judging it as I think a lot of preconceived notions about it are around,” Kapoor said on Friday.
His statement came in the wake of the torching of the historical epic drama’s set at Kolhapur in Maharashtra by a group of unidentified attackers. Around 80 to 90 per cent of jewellery and costumes for the movie were burnt to ashes in the attack.
This was the second attack on Padmavati; earlier this year activists from Shri Rajput Karni Sena in Jaipur vandalised the film’s set and assaulted Bhansali, forcing him to move his set to Maharashtra.
Kapoor considers it best to say little about the controversy.
“I don’t want to comment too much as one doesn’t want to say anything that will spark any further controversy or create more trouble for the makers as it’s very difficult for the producers and everyone associated with the movie to deal with this situation.”
“It’s unfortunate that something like this is happening and of course, we have become soft targets. I hope people give an opportunity to the filmmaker to express his views and then choose to say what they need to say.”
“But to say it before you see the film, is a bit premature,” the actor added.
Kapoor was at the India Today Woman Summit and Awards in New Delhi. He was presented the Gentleman of The Year Award for being a ‘Perfect Co-star in Reel and Real Life’.
The actor also spoke generously about his relationship with wife, Mira, their daughter, Misha, his mother, Neelima Azim, his father, Pankaj Kapur, on being a vegetarian as well as his workout regime.
