Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s new film Pathaan under Hindu nationalist fire; ‘a contaminated mentality’
- Fans are desperate to watch Indian Muslim actor – richest actor in Asia and fourth richest in world – return after 4-year gap, in action thriller Pathaan
- Trouble erupted when clips featured Hindu actress Deepika Padukone in a saffron-coloured bikini, a colour the ruling pro-Hindu BJP party claims as its own
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s highly anticipated film Pathaan – an action thriller – is attracting right-wing wrath with Hindu protesters calling for its boycott in theatres.
Seen by many as the 57-year-old icon’s comeback vehicle after a four-year hiatus, the backlash ahead of the January 25 release comes amid growing concerns that India’s Hindi film industry is in the grip of the far right.
Trouble began last month when film clips were released of a song featuring lead actress Deepika Padukone, a Hindu, dancing in a saffron-coloured bikini, a colour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims as its own, and which features on its flag.
Hindu groups and BJP leaders have called the star’s swimwear an insult to Hindu sentiments with protesters burning effigies of Khan, a Muslim, and carrying “Ban Pathaan” placards.
Narottam Mishra, Home Affairs Minister in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said Padukone’s song scenes were filmed out of a “contaminated mentality”.
01:45
Bollywood adapts ‘Forrest Gump’ in hopes of reinvigorating Indian audiences
Such sentiments are not uncommon, with Bollywood regularly at the receiving end of an orchestrated online campaign to boycott films of actors it perceives to be anti-Hindu, including Aamir Khan, the Muslim star of Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar, who starred in Raksha Bandhan.
He said social media is “driven” by “narrowness of views” and added, “I read somewhere that negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value as well. Such pursuits enclose the collective narrative, making it divisive and destructive.”
However, many feel the backlash against Pathaan will not dent Khan’s popularity nor the film’s prospects due to his enduring star appeal. “Advance bookings for Pathaan are breaking all records,” said film distributor Suresh Kapadia of VFX Media.
“We’re expecting record footfalls at theatres as the audience are keen to see Khan on the big screen after four years.”
‘A disaster for Bollywood’? Films flop as Indians pivot to streaming services
Delhi-based Rahul Sinha has “already bought tickets for Pathaan for my family. I’ll be watching it, first day, first show, as Khan has been my favourite actor for over 30 years”.
Much of this effusiveness has to do with Khan’s universal appeal, say film insiders. Known as the “King Of Bollywood”, Khan has also been named the richest actor in Asia by global analytics firm World Of Statistics.
It said he has a net worth of US$770 million which makes him the world’s fourth richest actor, ahead of Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan and George Clooney.
The owner of various luxurious properties in various countries, Khan has multiple sources of income from the likes of brand endorsements, production houses and other businesses.
He also has a string of national awards under his belt including the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth highest civilian award.
