Padmavati row may discourage filmmakers: Prosenjit Chatterjee

Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee today said the Padmavati controversy may discourage film makers from taking up projects on historical subjects.

Flaying the threat to Deepika Padukone who is portraying the character of Padmavati in the film, he told a session of the India Today Conclave East that actors are paid for enacting roles as visualised by the film maker.

"I am worried that due to such controversy, directors may not be encouraged to take up films on historical characters," he Sanghai actor said.

Featuring Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, Padmavati has been facing the wrath of various Rajput groups and political leaders who have accused director Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history.

Historians are, however, divided on whether Padmavati existed at all.

On the topic of his session - "New Medium, New Expressions - Prosenjit said, "We have to understand todays generation who are more conversant with apps."

He said his aim is to add at least one more fan a day, to reach out to this generation.

"Earlier, films were seen only on big screens and then on both big screens and tv. Now we have screens from theatres to laptops to mobile handsets," he said.

But, whatever be the medium, the universal language of cinema remains the same, the Moner Manush actor said.