The various controversies surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'magnum opus' Padmavati

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited film, Padmavati, has been mired in controversies since the beginning.

The historical drama based is on the story of Rani Padmini, who famously refused to submit to emperor Alauddin Khilji when he arrived at the Chittorgarh fort with his army and killed herself. The protestors alleged that the film has love scenes between the two rulers, played by actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

However, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, clarified through a tweet that rumours about a romantic dream sequence are not true as he was careful in depicting the Rajput honour and dignity.

Featuring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor, Padmavati is slated to hit screens on December 1.

Here are 5 controversies surrounding the movie which has stirred a debate across platforms:

• January 2017 -  Shooting stalled in Jaipur

Back in January 2017, the sets of Bhansali’s magnum opus at Jaipur Fort was destroyed by protesters belonging to the Karni Sena. The protesters activists created a ruckus and alleged that "wrong facts" were being depicted in the movie. “We had warned the filmmaker against presenting wrong facts. When we came to know about the shooting, we gathered there and protested,” said district president of Karni sena Narayan Singh, was quoted as saying.

Following the incident, the filmmaker decided not to shoot the movie.

• March 2017 -  Set vandalised in Kohlapur

The set of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film was vandalised by unidentified persons at Mhasai Pathar in Kolhapur district on March 15. The miscreants also torched the costumes and the animal feed kept there for the horses featuring in the period drama. Furthermore, the vandals also tried to set ablaze the vehicles of the crew members parked near the set.

• September 27 - Posters burned down

On September 24, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community burnt posters of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's much-awaited film. Merely four days after the release of the film’s posters, a group of protesters gathered in front of Rajmandir Cinema Hall and shouted slogans against Bhansali and burnt posters of the film.

• October 18 - Rajput Karni Sena destroys 'Padmavati' Rangoli

In a shocking case of protesting against the movie, members of the Rajput Karni Sena rubbed out a rangoli created for film's promotion at a mall in Surat, Gujarat.

Taking to Twitter, artist Karan K, shared the pictures of the rangoli, along with the vandalised portion and captioned the picture as, “#Padmavati Rangoli Controversy! A crowd of 100 people cried JAY SRI RAM AND rubbed out my 48hrs' intense work! Shocked.”

Reacting to the incident, Deepika Padukone in a series of tweets wrote, “absolutely heart breaking to see the recent attack on artist Karan and his artwork!disgusting and appalling to say the least! Who are these people?Who is responsible for their actions?For how long are we going to let this go on? allow them to take law into their own hands & attack our freedom & right to individual expression time & again!? this has to stop NOW & action must be taken! @smritiirani”

• November 2017 - Protests in Chittorgarh 

Tens of hundreds of people took to the streets and blocked roads across Rajasthan's Chittorgarh city on November 3, to protest against the release of highly anticipated epic period drama, Padmavati. In Chittorgarh, all schools, markets, and medical shops were shut down as a part of the strike, backed by the Rajput Karni Sena.