The film ‘Bawaal,’ directed by Nitesh Tiwari and starring Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, has found itself embroiled in controversy internationally. The Jewish human rights organization, Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), has strongly objected to the film’s portrayal of sensitive historical events, specifically the Holocaust during World War 2.
‘Bawaal’ tells the story of its lead characters who travel to various World War 2 sites, including the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. In a dream-like sequence, the characters find themselves inside a gas chamber, visibly struggling to breathe. These scenes have stirred significant outrage as the Holocaust and gas chambers hold deep historical significance, symbolizing the horrors of genocide and the Nazis’ heinous crimes.
Adding to the controversy, a dialogue in the film has Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Nisha, stating, “We’re all a little like Hitler, aren’t we?” while discussing human greed. Another scene sees Nisha saying, “Every relationship goes through their Auschwitz,” implying that every relationship has its struggles.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, renowned for advocating Jewish rights and preserving Holocaust memory, has raised its voice against the film’s inappropriate portrayal.
SWC’s Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, penned a letter to Amazon, urging them to halt the monetization of ‘Bawaal’ immediately.
The organization labels the film as a “banal trivialization” of the Holocaust’s victims and the systematic murder of millions under Hitler’s genocidal regime.The atrocities committed during the Holocaust represent the darkest depths of human evil and must not be undermined by
any means.
