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Ranveer Singh Is Playing A Bisexual Man In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati'

The actor will reportedly be seen having a male lover.
STRINGER via Getty Images

If at all mainstream Bollywood was to embrace sexual fluidity, the revolution would likely begin with Ranveer Singh.

The actor, who hasn't shied away from androgynous wardrobe choices, might be playing a bisexual ruler in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming magnum opus, Padmavati.

According to several reports, the film where Singh plays brutal ruler Alauddin Khilji has a track that shows Khilji's dalliance with Indian-born general Malik Kafur. Kafur's character is being played by Jim Sarbh, the actor who gained recognition after playing the role of one of the hijackers in Neerja.

AFP/Getty Images

Historian Devdutt Patnaik has said that Khilji 'bought' Kafur from a slave market in Gujarat after being 'mesmerised by his beauty,' during one of his 'bacha baazi' outings.

It isn't fully clear how young Kafur was when he got involved with Khilji but he later became the ruler's chief advisor.

The makers of Padmavati haven't officially confirmed or denied the rumour about Khilji's bisexuality being shown in the film and one will have to wait for the film to release to know how Bhansali has handled the gay romance.

Besides Singh, the film stars Deepika Padukone in the titular role and Shahid Kapoor will be seen playing the role of her husband, Rawal Ratan Singh.

After Ram-Leela and Bajirao-Mastani, this will be Padukone and Singh's third film together and perhaps the second film (after Kapoor and Sons) in recent times to show a mainstream Bollywood hero romancing another man.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.