Padmaavat row: 40 armed cops to protect Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his family 24X7

Hundreds of Karni Sena members, who have been opposing Bhansali and the release of his film ever since shooting began last year, were rounded up from various parts of Mumbai

The maximum security cover has been extended to film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his family as protests against his film Padmaavat continue to simmer across several parts of the country, including Mumbai.

Policemen stand guard at Chitra Cinema in Dadar (East), where Bollywood film Padmaavat is being screened, on Thursday. (Bhushan Koyande/HT)

Hundreds of Karni Sena members, who have been opposing Bhansali and the release of his film ever since shooting began last year, were rounded up from various parts of the city on Thursday, while they were protesting outside theatres.

Sources said more than 40 armed police personnel have been deployed to protect Bhansali and his family round the clock. “Uniformed guards have been deployed at Bhansali’s residence and Juhu office. Plainclothes policemen have also been deployed at those places to keep an eye on suspicious people,” sources said.

The scale of security accorded to the film-maker by the protection & security (P&S) branch is more than any categorised security cover — security details that the police or government give high-risk individuals — extended to VVIPs in the city, said sources.

Bhansali has been asked to intimate his security team about his travel plans and public appearances schedule well in advance.

“He has been given a police escort, while the venues he is expected to visit are being searched. Sufficient police will be deployed to keep protestors at bay. At least two armed guards are accompanying him everywhere,” sources said.

Joint commissioner of police, law and order, Deven Bharti said the film-maker’s security cover will remain in place till the threat exists.

The security cover will continue for at least a month, highly placed sources in the Mumbai police said on Thursday.