BJP Leader Ashish Shelar Takes Potshots at Deepika Padukone Over JNU Visit

Mumbai, January 9: Maharashtra BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Wednesday took potshots at actor Deepika Padukone, who visited Delhi's JNU post violence, saying she should not try to act like warrior Mastani, because "she does not have a real-life director behind her".

Padukone had expressed solidarity with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students attacked by masked goons inside the campus in Delhi on Sunday night. She also visited the university campus on Tuesday. She was trolled on social media for her gesture. Deepika Padukone's JNU Visit Row: Prakash Javadekar Supports Bollywood Actor, Says 'This is Democratic Country, Anyone, Any Artist Can Go Anywhere'.

Speaking in the premises of Vidhan Bhavan here, former school education minister Shelar said, It is easy to portray the character of warrior Mastani, when you have a direct like Sanjay Leela Bhansali behind you.

"But in real-life when she does not have a director behind her, (then) she should not try to portray herself as a warrior or Mastani because it is now clear that she is unable to live that kind of life in reality, Shelar said.

Padukone had featured in Hindi film 'Bajirao Mastani', a 2015 historical romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Mastani was a warrior during the Peshwa rule. He called the actor's act of meeting some JNU attack victims as "insensitive and inappropriate".

The BJP leader said, She has shown insensitivity by meeting just one side of the people in the JNU violence. The incident is being probed by the police. So, meeting just one side of the people is inappropriate, obviously she is in trouble."

We condemn and reject her step. We find it (her act) insensitive, said the BJP leader. Padukones visit to the JNU brought her under attack on social media, while activists and some politicians applauded her gesture.

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