'Pathaan': Twitter calls Vivek Agnihotri 'hypocrite' over 'Besharam Rang' controversy
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri recently shared a video on Twitter where a young girl was seen criticizing the much-talked-about song Besharam Rang from Pathaan. Twitter has now erupted with many users calling Agnihotri a hypocrite, reminding him of his own 2012 erotic thriller Hate Story. He has often been in the headlines, especially after The Kashmir Files, either for the film or his controversial opinions.
Why does this story matter?
Shah Rukh Khan took a sabbatical following his last release Zero in 2018. In these four years, he has had cameo appearances in a few films, but viewers have been waiting to see his aura back on big screens. Ever since its release, the song Besharam Rang has received polarized reactions and has been in the news, while Deepika Padukone's costumes were also criticized.
Agnihtori's comments on SRK's next
Agnihotri tweeted a video on Wednesday and wrote, "WARNING...video against Bollywood. Don't watch it if you are a secular." In the clip, a girl criticized Besharam Rang and the makers of Pathaan. Earlier, Agnihotri himself directed the erotic thriller Hate Story starring Paoli Dam, Gulshan Devaiah, and Nikhil Dwivedi. But his stance now seems to have changed and Twitter users called him out.
'Not a complete artist if you haven't done erotic art'
A Twitter user called him a hypocrite while mentioning Hate Story. Another wrote, "The one who made Hate Story is talking about nudity. The one who got thrown out of Bollywood is speaking about the idea of Bollywood..." Many shared an old interview video of Agnihotri where he said, "You're not a complete artist if you haven't done erotic art. It's an art form."
Here's tha video posted by Agnihotri
Agnihotri's take on erotica
In the same old interview, Agnihotri asked if it was wrong to celebrate a woman's body or a human body. He had said his erotic thriller, Hate Story, was made for entertaining people and stated, "I come from an ever-changing, ever-evolving, progressive faith, so once I realized what was wrong with Bollywood, I changed..." Many have now called him "double-faced" for changing his stance.
Twitter users shared Agnihotri's daughter's photos
Meanwhile, a section of Twitter users shared photos of Agnihotri's daughter wearing an orange-colored swimsuit to condemn his criticism of Besharam Rang. In the song, Padukone was seen in an orange swimsuit, which was criticized by right-wing supporters and Pathaan ended up facing boycott calls.
CBFC advised makers of 'Pathaan' to make changes
Recently, Prasoon Joshi-led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) advised Pathaan makers to make changes to the film, along with the songs, and submit a revised version for certification. Joshi stated, "CBFC is always committed to finding the right balance between creative expression and sensibility of the audience and believes that we can always find [the] solution through meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders."
Madhya Pradesh home minister threatened to ban film
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had earlier threatened to ban the film's release in the state if certain scenes were not modified. He also called Padukone's outfits "highly objectionable." A right-wing group named Veer Shivaji group planned protests in Indore where they demanded a ban on the film and the effigies of Khan and Padukone were burnt, while #BoycottPathaan trended on social media.
'Pathaan' in a nutshell
Pathaan is bankrolled by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films and the film is helmed by action-thriller genre expert Siddharth Anand. The cast also includes John Abraham, while Salman Khan will be seen in a cameo, too. The music is helmed by Vishal-Sheykhar; two songs—Besharam Rang, Jhoome Jo Pathaan—have been released so far that are trending on YouTube. Pathaan will release on January 25, 2023.
