With Brahmastra, it looks as if Bollywood will limp back to normalcy that was disrupted due to the boycott calls given by people who were hurt at one-sided Hindu bashing that these pictures have been representing. It is hoped that film industry must have realized that the King size status of actors and directors in society depends on the audience who idolize them as demi-Gods and nothing should be done to challenge them. They may look poor and powerless, but if they unite for a cause they can give a bloody nose to the self-inflated ego of these demi-Gods.
In new India, where youths have been rediscovering the strength of their cultural roots and have started taking a pride in their liberal Hindu tradition, the Mumbai film industry popularly called Bollywood is being subjected to critical scrutiny never done before. They rate films and the efforts on merits and even small events or a non-descript scene is being analysed and commented upon.
While those giving boycott calls for some of the recent movies wanted to show Bollywood that the film industry should not take the mainstream Hindu culture for granted, those from within the industry compounded the problem by challenging the boycott calls. The film Lal Singh Chadda became a victim. Even politicians from the Congress joined the row asking people to watch the movie as if the boycott call was being given by their political adversaries.
The failure of the movie should be seen in the plot itself. If you show that a person who is mentally below average is able to join the Indian Army and make fun of him and the Army, this would never be liked by audience. The Army is the symbol of nationalism and sacrifice. The person cannot even make a distinction between his own people and enemy while rescuing wounded soldier.
Those who consider themselves demi-Gods due to adulations and love of audience have compounded the problems by their statement. Let us just see some of them: “Don’t watch the movie if you don’t like. We are not forcing you to watch the movie” (Kareena Kapoor); “If you don›t like me, don’t watch me” (Alia Bhat); “This is a democracy and if they have an opinion, so be it. They should not watch the film if they don›t like it”. The Dobaara film actor Taapsee Pannu asked audience to boycott her movie as well.
The issue of divide and biases in Bollywood exacerbated after drug abuse cases that came to light and the Gods started tumbling down one by one. The death of Sushant Singh Rajput exposed the hollowness and nepotism that runs in the industry and the sense of entitlement these people asserted. They forgot that this is new India where people do not talk positively about nepotism. This is an India where drug abuse is not okay.
The bigwigs of Bollywood got a big slap on their faces when they failed to recognize the success of Kashmir Files since they had problem with the theme and also the Director whom they refused to acknowledge. The audience gave a big thumps up and the movie became one of all the time hits breaking many records for such a short budget venture. The arrogance was obvious when Anurag Kashyap judged the movie in negative light but he said he had not watched the movie “due to ideological differences”.
Gone are the time when Bollywood movies used to be wholesome entertainment. Earlier they reflected Indian realities, the rural life of ease and urban life of aspirations. They depicted the values of relationship in a family. Gone are the times now. Most Bollywood films are now vehicles of orgy of sex and violence. What used to be shown symbolically in movies earlier have become more explicit in the name of liberalism and freedom.
When asked to comment, the directors and actors would say you have the remote and you can always shift the channel. But if in a movie of two and a half hours you have to forward scenes or flip channels so many times because you want to watch the film with family with being embarrassed, one can imagine the fall to which the films have stooped to. The beauty of value of Indian family system is being challenged with impunity.
One common theme that used to be obvious in Bollywood films has been the ridiculing of Hindu culture and showing Islam and Christianity in progressive light. A Sanskrit teacher identified with Hindu culture is always a subject of ridicule where as a person speaking English or Urdu is respected for his diction and vocabulary. Whether it is a Christian father or a Maulvi of a mosue, they are shown in positive light. Rahim chacha is ready to sacrifice his only son for the village in Sholay but the Hindus are not.
The Directors have no qualms in making a serial or film on life in a Hindu Ashram and the anti-social activities that may happen in one or some of them. But they don’t have the guts to make any such film about a monastery or a madrasa even if a Christian priest is caught in a sex scandal or what happened at the Chisti Shrine at Ajmer. By doing this, either they are showing that these are progressive institutions or they don’t have the guts to point out to the vice. Even of they try they would come out with good cop bad cop version to keep the theme balanced.
They can point out to milk flowing into the drains after abhishek of Lord Shiva in the form of Shiv Linga. They would even go the extent of making fun of Shiv Linga. But can they talk of similar practices in other religion say killings of crores of animals for qurbani that dirties the land and fills the drains with blood. We have seen many movies on evil practices followed by some Hindus such as sati, child marriage and widowhood. But have we seen any movie showing the evil practices of Halala Or forcible conversions of Hindus by Islamists and Christian missionaries? Has love jihad figured prominently as a movie?
Amir Khan describes himself as socially conscious. But why his consciousness does not see the ugly side of other religions or social practices that have crept into lives of practitioners of these religions. Bollywood that was run on money of Dawood Ibrahmi and such gangs promoted Islam as a liberal religion and Hinduism as illiberal. It made fun of idol worship and other such practices such a going to temples. It is the same attitude with which the Britishers looked at anything Hindu. It is the same attitude that says that people go to temple to steal chappals or tease girls.
The boycott call by some unknown organizations reflect that even when it is not an organized movement, it has touched chord with movie goers who are ready to debate issue and want fair play to rule the movie world. They have shown that they would go to the extent to teach a lesson to those who cross the line. Recent cases involving top Bollywood personalities have shown that these demi-Gods are as powerless as anyone else when caught in the web of law.
It is time these Actors and Directors realize that they should stick to task of doing what they are best at such as acting or direction. While trying to take position or high moral ground they should first look at their own skeleton. Whether you are providing entertainment or trying to do something else in the garb of film. Whether you are subtly trying to push the agenda of berating indigenous culture, which is predominantly Sanatan. Before ridiculing tree worship or Totemism you should know what purposes they serve in society.
Shahrukh Khan became King Khan not because he is a Muslim. He became a top star because he represented the struggle of a common man in his movies. The moment he tries to project his Khan identity and speaks for people of his co-religionists, he would lose support of those who made him King Khan. If you represent parochial interest you would get parochial support. One should not complain then.
If film making is a business, which it is, then why take it to a level of ideology or conflict. Make good film and be humble. If people watch your movie, they have a right to boycott it too. The arrogance of certain actors who are born with silver spoons is creating a chasm between film and its audience. Audience is being challenged and rather than trying to laugh at their own foolishness, these actors are ganging up in solidarity.
And don’t blame the audience. Kashmir Files has shown that if the movie is good, people would go and watch it in theatres. Rather than trying to force audience to watch what these bigwigs of Bollywood want, films should show what people want to watch. And this is not sex and sleaze and violence.
The film makers and actors should know that customer is the King and here audience are the arbiters of their fate. Knowingly or knowingly these heroes become icons of youths. And it shames them when they come for advertisements of gutkhas or liquors. Kudos to some of the actors from South Indian film industry who have refused to endorse any such brands.