Only small section questioned it: Nitesh Tiwari on 'Bawaal' controversy
What's the story
Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor's romantic drama Bawaal (2023) was an ambitious project for both actors and director Nitesh Tiwari.
However, upon its release on Amazon Prime Video in July, the film was met with rousing criticism for "trivializing World War II" and "comparing a broken relationship to Auschwitz."
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Tiwari has now responded to this outrage.
Tiwari's thoughts
Tiwari thought 'people were overtly nitpicking' on 'Bawaal'
Tiwari told HT, "There is only a small section of people who questioned Bawaal. People were overtly nitpicking what I would say."
"Predominately, the kind of feedback I got was very, very positive. People who consumed it had it the way it should have been consumed rather than overly nitpicking."
"But, having said that, no offense, people can nitpick also," the Dangal helmer added.
On difference of opinions
Tiwari has taken everything in 'right spirit'
Tiwari added, "I respect their (critics') opinion because that is exactly what it is when you put out a work in a public forum."
"You have to be ready for all kinds of reactions. It's great learning...from all of that. I take it all in the right spirit. I try to learn as to how can I improve things going forward," said the writer-director.
Controversy
What the controversy was about
When the Bawaal trailer was released in early July, it birthed intense criticism on social media, and viewers complained that it "glorifies World War II" and Adolf Hitler.
In one scene, Nisha (Kapoor) says, "We all, too, are a little like Hitler, aren't we?" which became the point of controversy, along with her comparison of broken marriages to Auschwitz, a major concentration camp site.
Earlier response
How Tiwari defended 'Bawaal' earlier
During the trailer launch, Tiwari batted for Bawaal.
"The arc of the characters, you know, you look at the events and the incidents can play an important role in the overall arc of the character and the relationship," he said.
"It's not just about Hitler, there are many more things...every incident has been carefully chosen which can have an impact on the overall arc."
'Bawaal'
'Bawaal': Storyline and supporting actors
Bawaal is the story of Nisha and Ajju (Dhawan), a couple who get married through an arranged marriage.
Nisha suffers from epilepsy, which vexes Ajju, who turns cold and aloof until one day when they visit the sites related to World War 2 in Europe and realize the extent of human misery.
Manoj Pahwa, Mukesh Tiwari, and Anjuman Saxena co-starred in the film.