Tag: Boycott Bollywood

‘Pathaan Proves That Love Presides Over Toxicity’

‘Pathaan Proves That Love Presides Over Toxicity’

By LokMarg

Yuvraj Dixit, a teenage movie buff and a diehard Shahrukh fan from Lucknow, says Pathaan has humiliated the hatemongers and proved that audiences have an opinion of their own. In his words:

Pathaan’s success has once again proved that content is king. Nevertheless, the movie’s cast, led by King Khan, has also brought a breath of fresh air from Bollywood. Add to this, the joy of watching a movie in big screen, and you have the perfect recipe for a blockbuster. After a very long, one got to see the audience jumping with joy, whistling, shouting, and dancing out their heart.

The experience to watch Pathaan was like a collective celebration of life. More so as things were lying breathless ever since the Covid lockdown hit the country. Though many films were released in the past couple of years but they failed to pull and hold the viewer. Although there have been many films with good content and story streamed on OTT, the fun and satisfaction to watch a movie with the crowd is unmatchable.

Pathaan is the new world of Shahrukh and we are living it to the fullest. Amidst the `record tod’ performance, it has once again been proved that haters are going to hate but it is love that will always preside. King Khan said it in as many words.

ALSO READ: Pathaan Brings Back Old World Charm Of Cinema

The boycott gang was yet again on its toes and made all efforts to ruin our `piece’ of joy and celebration but, like many occasions, all the hues and cries fell flat on the face. The illogical `bhagwa’ protest stands humiliated today. The campaign such `ISI-funded film’, `disrespect to our security agencies’ (John Abraham is a former RAW agent in the film), etc., failed to mislead the viewers and the audience gave its reply louder than words.

Dixit relives his experience of watching Pathaan in cinema hall

I also have a piece of advice not only for Shahrukh but for everyone in the film industry. We all know the power of social media and the population of `WhatsApp graduates’, so every caution should be taken so as to not leave even a single `loophole’ or a situation that could prove to be an easy catch for `bluffers’.

It’s not that that a bhagwa clothing appeared only in Pathaan – I can provide a list of links with even more vulgar sequences where actors in saffron robes were enjoying pelvic thrusts with bawdy lyrics. The less said about our Internet intellectuals the better! Some people will always spread mindless sensitivity and toxicity.

The viewers have also given a fair example of their intelligence and the real movie lover is not moved or affected by such calls and campaigns. After all, so much money and time are involved in giving us something to cherish and spend quality time and we also need to give the respect and return our entertainers deserve.

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As told to Rajat Rai 

Pathaan’s Success Is A Fitting Response To Boycott Brigade

Pathaan’s Success Is A Fitting Response To Boycott Brigade

By LokMarg

Satyam Shrivastava, a Delhi-based development professional, says Indian audience is fed up with the cancel culture which selectively targets a section of Bollywood

I watched the Shahrukh-starrer Pathaan a couple of days back with my family at a PVR multiplex in New Delhi. The excitement around the theatre was palpable; it was teeming with SRK fans. Despite the increased prices of tickets, there was heavy rush at the booking window. I think such a rage was seen for the first time since the reopening of cinema halls after Covid days.

It is possible that the calls to boycott the movie had sparked some kind of defiant thrill among Shahrukh Khan’s admirers. I am in no doubt that Pathaan will prove to be a ‘bounce back’ moment for Bollywood.

I had my individual reasons to watch the movie; I went there in support of Shahrukh Khan. I am sure I was not alone with the cause. The entire opposition to the movie was based on a ridiculous argument: a brief clip of Deepika Padukone wearing an orange (some saw saffron) bikini and singing Besharam Rang. Clearly, the target of the boycott brigade was Shahrukh Khan and Deepika, not the movie or the perceived vulgarity.

These two are film stars have, in their silent and subtle conduct, defied the Hindutva majoritarianism. Despite all kinds of state and non-state harassment, they have stood their ground. While Deepika made her silent presence felt in solidarity with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, Shahrukh Khan, stoically countered a conspiratorial campaign against his son Aryan and did not line up to serve the powers that be. This had riled the Hindutva brigade no end who champion a different idea of ‘New India’.

ALSO READ: ‘Pathaan Injects A Fresh Lease Of Life In Bollywood’

Shahrukh and Deepika represent an ‘old India’ where artists were recognised by their talent and not by their surname, caste or ideology. And the movie, Pathaan stands like a non-violent resistance symbol to the boycott brigade representing a majoritarian ideology.

There are reports that many theatres have started additional slots to screen Pathaan; single-screen theatres have got the opportunity they had been long waiting for; and about the audience is going berserk when Salman Khan makes and entry. It proves that the audiences are fed up with such baseless boycott calls, and have collectively stood up to the threats by showing up in large numbers. The message is: We shall decide which movie to watch or disregard.

Pathaan is an entertaining ensemble of filmy massalas. And entertainment remains the main objective of any artwork. The film will also be a trendsetter in terms of the use of technology in Hindi cinema and pave way for making films in the same league as the Marvel Studios of Hollywood. Air fights, high-speed biking on ice, VFX footages are all very common in western cinema. Now these are being served by Bollywood too.

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(The narrator is the director of a Delhi-based civil society organisation, SRUTI (Society for Rural, Urban and Tribal Initiative)

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

SRK Pathaan

‘Positive Log Zinda Hain,’ Says SRK Amid Calls To Boycott ‘Pathaan’

By LokMarg

Days after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra objected to the ‘Pathaan’ song Besharam Rang for its green and saffron costumes worn by Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, King Khan, on Thursday, sent out a message of positivity at the inauguration of Kolkata International Film Festival 2022. (KIFF)

Without mentioning anything related to the Besharam Rang controversy, SRK in his speech said, “Cinema and in fact, the advent of articulation through social media platforms have now become the foremost expressions of human experience and emotion. The collective narrative of times is shaped by social media and contrary to the belief that the spread of social media will affect cinema negatively.”

He added, “I believe cinema has a more important role to play now. Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature…I read somewhere negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value as well…Such pursuits enclose collective narrative making it divisive and destructive.”

“Cinema exposes the vulnerability of human nature by telling stories in the simplest form as they are lived. It allows us to know each other better in a way it’s best placed to sustain a collective counter-narrative that speaks to the larger nature of humankind,” SRK continued.

After concluding his speech, Shah Rukh tweaked his Pathaan dialogue in order to urge people to focus on positivity.

“Kuch dino se hum yaha aa nahi paaye ..aapse mil nahi paaye. lekin ab duniya jo hai normal ho gayi hai. Hum sab khush hai, main sabse zyada khush hu aur ye baat batane mein mujhe bilkul bhi aapatti nahi hai ki duniya kuch bhi kar le, main aur aap log aur jitne bhi positive log hai, sab ke sab zinda hai (We haven’t been able to meet for a while, but the world is becoming normal now. We are all happy and I am the happiest. And I have no qualms in saying, that no matter what the world does, me and you, and all positive people in the world are ALIVE),” SRK said.

‘Besharam Rang’ was dropped online on December 12, and soon it became the talk of the town. While several liked the peppy track, there were also who found ‘Besharam Rang’ objectionable over the use of saffron and green costumes. A slew of activists in Indore even staged a protest against Pathaan and Besharam Rang song and set effigies of Deepika and Shah Rukh on fire. (ANI)

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Bollywood filmmaker

‘Boycott Or Cancel Culture is The Coronavirus of Bollywood’

By LokMarg

Pankaj Narayan, a producer and filmmaker in Mumbai, tells LokMarg that Bollywood filmmakers are facing a crisis which is driven by a political ideology

Film industry is going through hard times. It has witnessed a downward phase in the past too but this time the crisis is qualitatively different because it is primarily a political one. The Boycott Brigade is just one dimension of this crisis.

When a small producer like me decides to make a film, our first brief is like- kya chal raha hai aajkal? Now talking of the trend, one cannot predict what would click. This is the age of going ‘viral’, not hit. For example, a Bhojpuri film starring Khesari Lal Yadav Rowdy Daroga has better box office collections than Aamir Khan’s Lal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan.

Let me share a recent incident. I had drawn the basic layout for a movie which would be titled Ravan Ki Love Story. As the producer of this project, I pitched for Nawazuddin in the lead role and discussed it with one of my prospective financiers. The financier, after listening to all the details, was apprehensive to come on board. He said: “First, the title of this movie may trigger a controversy and second, on top of that you have Nawaz (a Muslim) in the lead role. What do you want? To get my bones broken?”

I can cite many such incidents where you cannot state a specific reason for films being aborted, tanking on box office or any content going viral. As far as I understand, just three types of content is getting traction: regional vulgar content, ultra-nationalist theme and religious content. You can easily understand the reason behind the success of The Kashmir Files. It was supported by the political establishment. Same applies to the films that were doomed at the box office. They were boycotted. Even Akshay Kumar was boycotted when they trolled him calling Canada Kumar.

ALSO READ: ‘Those Upset With Kaali Poster Know Little About Divinity’

Filmmakers who do not subscribe to these viral content, suffer. The problem is essentially political because this is the first time ideological differences have seeped into a micro level. Not only films, in journalism or any other socially responsible profession, we can see this binary. This divided viewer and reader has made the content creation risky.

A cinematic content is appreciated or criticised only when one gets to see that work. Nowadays viewers are first fed with a political perception through propaganda, then they resort to cancel culture etc over a flimsy issue. This boycott culture is proving to be the Coronavirus of the film industry. I have been making a remake of devotional songs to survive. Same is with many other creators. We are not sure what a lyricist would offer. How much return would it give? The problem is same even with big banners like Yashraj, etc. Only the size and scale are different.

Yashraj Films may give five flops back to back and still survive. The smaller producers are destined to be doomed. Startups will also struggle. The hidden fallout of this political crisis and boycott culture is the untimely and silent death of new talent and enterprises, for the lack of ‘oxygen’. Content is not going to save them because there are no takers and financers.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava