Kolkata: Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee today said the 'Padmavati' controversy may discourage filmmakers from taking up projects on historical subjects. Flaying the threat to Deepika Padukone who is portraying the character of Padmavati in the film, he told a session of the 'India Today Conclave East' that actors are paid for enacting roles as visualised by the filmmaker. 

"I am worried that due to such controversy, directors may not be encouraged to take up films on historical characters," he 'Sanghai' actor said. Featuring Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, 'Padmavati' has been facing the wrath of various Rajput groups and political leaders who have accused director Sanjay Leela Bhansali of distorting history. 

Historians are, however, divided on whether Padmavati existed at all. On the topic of his session - "New Medium, New Expressions' - Prosenjit said, "We have to understand today's generation who are more conversant with apps." He said his aim is to add at least one more fan a day, to reach out to this generation. 

"Earlier, films were seen only on big screens and then on both big screens and tv. Now we have screens from theatres to laptops to mobile handsets," he said. But, whatever be the medium, the universal language of cinema remains the same, the 'Moner Manush' actor said.