Padmavati row: Kamal Haasan wants 'Deepika Padukone's Head... Saved'

As the controversy over Padmavati refused to die down, veteran actor Kamal Haasan on Tuesday came in defence of Deepika Padukone's upcoming new film Padmavati and said that the actress's head must be respected more than her body.

In a Twitter post, he also said "many communities" had earlier opposed his films, without naming anybody.

"Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We've said enough. Listen, Ma Bharat," he further said in the tweet.

He urged people to not deny the freedom to the Padmavati actress, and respect her "more than her body".Politicians, cutting across party lines, have demanded a ban on the Rs 200-crore film which was slated for release on December 1.

The remarks of Haasan, who has been preparing for a political debut, was in response to Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief media coordinator who announced Rs 10 crore award for anyone who beheads Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone.

Meanwhile, the Haryana BJP served notice to its chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu on Monday seeking an explanation over his reported remarks offering Rs 10 crore bounty.

Earlier, a Meerut-based Thakur leader offered Rs 5 crore to anyone who beheads Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Deepika Padukone.

Referring to the nose chopping of 'Surupnakha' in the epic Ramayana, Karni Sena leader Mahipal Singh Makrana had said that while Kshatriyas respected women, but if the film was not banned and Padukone does not stop inciting sentiments with her provocative language, the Rajputs will not lag behind in acting.

Protests were held in several parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, against the movie, which is slated to be released on December 1.

OneIndia