The trailer of Aamir Khanโ€™s โ€˜Laal Singh Chaddhaโ€™, which is slated to release on August 11, has received a highly polarised response from people and the trade

Summary

Chorus Against Aamirโ€™s Laal Singh Chaddha Mounts

The massive public outcry against Aamir Khanโ€™s Laal Singh Chaddha is getting shriller by the day. Itโ€™s not only the movie buffs who are decrying it; but also a huge section of intelligentsia and film connoisseurs who have joined the protest bandwagon.

They have taken strong exception to Aamirโ€™s depiction of a certain sect in a manner that is โ€œcompletely unjustified and unfoundedโ€. Some say it is a ripple effect of the angst he sparked in PK and his uncouth comments on how his then-wife felt insecure in India.

Public memory isnโ€™t short; it does remember the hurt of an old wound. And this has become apparent with the mounting protest that is reaching every nook and corner.

โ€œThis is a sign of the reawakening of the Hindu masses. It also sends a clear message to Aamir Khan that portraying things which are Hindu-targetted isnโ€™t progressive,โ€ said Dr Baladaan Barhath, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur.

Praveen Chaturvedi, a Mumbai-based filmmaker, pointed out that the boycott is an indication of enlightenment of the masses about what is right and what is wrong. โ€œYou canโ€™t take them for a ride or keep manipulating them. It is a  bottled-up anger that is venting out now. People are shouting out against ideological subversion.โ€

Social media is swamped with calls to boycott the film. And the campaign has snowballed into a sort of movement. In the first three days after its release, most multiplexes struggled to find audiences for Laal Singh Chaddha.

โ€œIt is sure to be the biggest debacle of Aamirโ€™s career. It sends a clear message that if you hurt religious sentiments, you will have to face the heat and backlash,โ€ pointed out Sudhir Dubey, a film critic, reviewer, and songwriter, based in Indore.

โ€œThis protest is not only against the actor, it is also the subject matter of the film. It is a protest against Aamirโ€™s bad propaganda. It is a scathing attack on the actor who questions money spent on temple construction and ridicules Hindu icons, โ€ underlined Dr Barhath.

Dubey added, โ€œA scene in PK was unsavoury. People didnโ€™t forget it. Aamirโ€™s past will haunt him. Actors, filmmakers, and everyone associated with films must remember that they shouldnโ€™t show anything that hurts peopleโ€™s emotions. Care should be taken or the impact will be far-reaching as it is happening now.โ€

Ajat Jamwal, a Jammu-based social activist, said that Aamirโ€™s visit to Turkey didnโ€™t augur well. His meeting with the Turkish president and his wife had a negative effect on the people. His attempts to glorify Pakistanis left a bad taste, he added. Talking about the film, he said Aamirโ€™s portrayal of Sikhs and Army officer has hurt nationalists.

โ€œThe opposition is not because Aamir is a Muslim or else actors like Irrfan, Kader Khan, and Mehmood wouldnโ€™t have been so popular. To support oneโ€™s religion doesnโ€™t mean one is supporting the BJP or the RSS. It is taking up the cudgels against those who disrespect our religion,โ€ said Dr Barhath.

Chaturvedi averred, โ€œYou canโ€™t go on showing villains with a tika and make the audience believe that Muslim characters are always good. Moreover, who wants to see a remake of a 1990s Hollywood film, in which facts are distorted? They donโ€™t want to buy the shit anymore. They are now more aware, patriotic, and nationalist.โ€

As the protest assumes monstrous proportions, the producers and makers of Laal Singh Chaddha are rattled by the losses it is incurring. Will it serve as a lesson for Aamir? โ€œIf he doesnโ€™t learn from this episode, the repercussions could be far nastier next time,โ€ warned Jamwal. The writing is clear on the wall.