While the existence of Alauddin Khilji, his invasions and incursions into Indian territory around the 14th century is documented in historical records, the existence of Rani Padmavati (or Padmini) is disputed by many historians. The story that everyone knows is based on a poem entitled Padmawat written by a bard called Malik Muhammad Jayasi in Awadhi in the 16th century. In the poem, the bard speaks of Padmini being a Singhalese (present-day Sri Lanka). The king of Chittor apparently crossed the ‘seven seas’ to meet her and proceeded to win her heart.
A sting operation appeared to suggest that the main organisation protesting against the film was far from upset about the content or the ‘historical distortion’ of the film. The real motive seemed to have been extortion.
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