Illustration/Uday Mohite

The first thing about Padmaavat that no one seems to have noticed, is that it is about two creepy, rival womanisers, with a lovely woman trapped between them. Allauddin Khilji was a savage, unapologetic womaniser. But, Rajput king Ratan Singh was also a womaniser, only worse: he was a wolf in customised sheep's clothing. He fell in love with Princess Padmavati of Ceylon, married her, and brought her back to his palace as Wife No 2, even though he was already married to Nagmati. So, the honourable Rajput was a con and a bigamist.