MUMBAI: "Padmavati" star Shahid Kapoor, directors Karan Johar, S S Rajamouli and Vikramaditya Motwane have come out in support of Sanjay Leela Bhansali following the vandalism on the set of "Padmavati" in Kolhapur.
Around 20 unidentified people torched the costumes and the animal feed kept there for the horses featuring in the period drama yesterday.
Bhansali had faced a similar problem in January when members of Rajput Karni Sena disrupted the shooting in Jaipur and allegedly misbehaved with him.
Kapoor, who plays the role of Raja Ratan Singh in the period drama, said it was "unfortunate" that the crew had to go through something like this again.
"I am aware there has been some disruption that happened, I am aware that a certain amount of costumes got burnt. I am aware everybody is safe and nobody got harmed. The shooting has wrapped up and the team is coming back," Shahid said.
"What I am not aware of is who has done it. It is unfortunate that something like this has happened for the second time."
Johar and Rajamouli spoke about the incident during the trailer launch of "Bahubali 2: The Conclusion" today.
Johar, who was targetted during the release of his film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" for casting Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, said what happened with Bhansali was "deeply saddening".
"It is deeply saddening to me as a filmmaker, as a human being and as a citizen of our prestigious and wonderful country that we have to endure something like this. All my support, thoughts and ideologies are with Sanjay," Johar said.
"Every time I read something like this, it really saddens me. We at our own level at the producers guild are with Sanjay and his entire cast and crew. We hope adequate measures can be taken to ensure something like this never happens to another filmmaker again."
Rajamouli said freedom of speech is a fundamental right and as an artiste, Bhansali should have the liberty to realise his dream.
"... he is an artist and should be able to express his views. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of the people of this country and any artiste, any filmmaker should be able to express his views," Rajamouli said at the trailer launch.
Motwane also slammed the incident, saying creative freedom of filmmakers should not be curbed.
"No one has the right to curb creative freedom... let law take care of it in its due course. You can't take the law in your own hands, you cannot vandalise and slap someone. That is not vigilante, that is just stupid," Motwane told PTI.
Rajkummar Rao, who stars in Motwane's next "Trapped" which releases tomorrow, said violence cannot be an answer to anything.
"There are other ways to solve a problem than vandalise.
One should talk it out. Violence is not the answer to anything," he said.