Letter vs Letter: Bhansali vs Rajput Sabha!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming period drama Padmavati has been mired in controversy almost since the get-go over allegations of distortion of history. And at the very eye of the storm is a purported romantic dream sequence between Rani Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh).

In the last week, the furor surrounding the film reached a boiling point with fringe groups such as the Karni Sena threatening to derail Padmavati's release with violent protests. However, in an almighty twist, Bhansali came out with a clarification that there was no such dream sequence at all — something he says he's maintained from the start.

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The revelation left both sides — team Bhansali as well as the fringe groups — with a number of questions to answer:

• To Bhansali: If there was no dream sequence, why wasn't a clarification forthcoming earlier?
• To the protesting groups: If they had been informed there was no dream sequence, why protest at all?
• And to both sides: Was this fictitious dream sequence used by both parties for their mutual benefit? I.e., polarisation and PR.

Now, Republic TV has accessed two letters that simultaneously offer clarity as well as deepen the mystery.

Letter 1, dated Jan 29, 2017, from Bhansali Productions to 'All social organisations headquartered at Shree Rajput Sabha'. The letter was written shortly after Padmavati's set was vandalised in Jaipur:

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Letter 2 is a reply to Bhansali Productions from the Shree Rajput Sabha signed-dated Jan 2017:
 

Effectively, this means: Bhansali had clarified in January 2017 that there was no intimate scene. And the Rajput Sena acknowledged (and claimed credit) that there was no such scene. And yet, for over 9 months since, tensions over the scene have only escalated and the communal-caste pot has been allowed to simmer in both Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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Who is in the right and who is wrong? It's Letter vs Letter: decide for yourselves.