anyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 5, 2017)

Amidst rumours that the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period-romance Padmavati, has been postponed to next year because the filmmaker couldn’t meet the deadline, the film’s producers, Viacom18, confirmed to Mirror that the Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone-starrer is on schedule. “It will keep its November 17 date with the box-office,” asserted the company’s spokesperson.

Shooting is presently on in full swing in Film City studio where Ranveer having recently cut his flowing locks, shaved off his moustache and trimmed his beard, is shooting his portions as a young Alauddin Khilji and filming with Aditi Rao Hydari who plays his wife. “He has a long scar across his face but the unit is careful to not reveal it in pics. The set too is heavily guarded,” informed a source, adding that Shahid who plays Padmavati’s husband and the Maharaja of Mewar, is prepping daily for strenuous fighting sequences and is filming high-octane war scenes at the moment. Deepika in the titular role is expected to wrap up her portions by August as the film inches towards wrap by October-end.

Pre-production began in July 2016 and the film rolled in January 2017. The first schedule in Jaipur was abruptly cut short when members of Rajput Karni Sena protested over the assumption that the film includes intimate scenes between Khilji and Padmavati, and vandalised the set at Jaigarh Fort, even attacking Bhansali. The location was shifted but on March 6, the set at Chittorgarh Fort was attacked by another mob and the mirrors in the queen’s royal palace broken. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, these mirrors were restored 40 years ago to promote tourism at the UNESCO site. On March 15, a group of unidentified vandals attacked and set fire to another set in Kolhapur. While no one was hurt, costumes and jewellery got burnt. “After these setbacks during the first three months, shooting has progressed at a steady pace over the last two months with Ranveer and Shahid on set almost every day,” adds the source.