Bollywood has finally decided to show spine. But only because the fire had reached its own house. After years of political apathy, capitulation and Modi selfies, silence was no longer an option. As Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn filed a defamation suit against Republic TV and Times Now, it was the greatest dare ever. Would Indians boycott their beloved Bollywood now, just like they boycotted Tanishq, Surf Excel and Snapdeal?
After months of vilification by a certain section of media, investigative agencies, governments and the public at large, the bigwigs of the industry took the two channels to court for running slander campaign against the industry after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. The 34 top Bollywood producers who have come together include the otherwise absent Khans and surprisingly even Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, who have made it fairly clear what their political ‘preferences’ are.
Bollywood was safe, till it wasn’t
Bollywood actors’ apolitical and rather spineless character is fairly well-known. Most of them do not speak about political or social matters outside the purview of well-organised NGO-type events. Unless of course, it is an international movement that warrants an unavoidable Instagram post. One cannot let go of opportunities to garner international woke credits, na?
“We’re all here for love, girl,” to quote Priyanka Chopra’s (not) iconic line, is basically the principle that actors espouse. This can also be translated to: ‘I don’t want any trouble’. The actor was questioned by a Pakistani woman at an event for having supported India’s military action against Pakistan despite her being a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
And this business of steering clear of any backlash from the political class and the general public, made several people in the industry believe that they were safe from most the untoward events, which they were for the longest time. In the past few years, no massive controversy has surrounded Bollywood as an industry. Perhaps, Modi’s selfie magic works after all.
However, I am fairly certain they did not know that the Modi ‘magic’ had an expiration date. The moment actor Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide, the entire Hindi film industry got embroiled in the eye of a rather unexpected but massive storm. Suddenly, Bollywood was the subject of every news channel’s prime time debate with discussions on prevalent nepotism and lack of opportunities. And as everyone knows, it soon devolved into mud-slinging and vitriolic hate.
All of this was combined with a drug probe into some of the industry’s biggest stars like Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor. Actor Rhea Chakraborty was arrested and spent a month in jail.
Also read: Times Now’s Navika defends WhatsApp ‘proof’ against film stars, Delhi riots scripted — News18
Speaking out as self-preservation
But the industry was fairly quiet for all these months, except of course those who are already known to be vocal about relevant issues. There was also quite a bit of noise from a certain actor who took the trait of ‘making everything about herself’ to the next level. The least said about Kangana Ranaut the better.
Now, however, the cream of Bollywood has decided to take matters into their own hands. Their own rather selfish hands at that. When someone comes for your livelihood and your space, you are liable to speak up and this is exactly what this defamation suit proves.
Recently, India witnessed the tragic death of a 20-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped and brutally assaulted. However, not many of those from the film industry, with their millions of followers or outreach, chose to speak up.
But when the noose gets too tight to breach the comfort, there is little to do but take action. They didn’t speak up when Rhea Chakraborty was getting brutally vilified, nor when Kangana Ranaut peddled hate against everyone. This privileged lot of Bollywood chose to speak up only when there was a threat to their movies and their businesses.
As political analyst Zainab Sikander tweeted, “They (Bollywood) only speak up when they’re in danger of going out of business since everyone wants to boycott them. Till now, they were silent spectators to all sorts of bullying to different sections of society.”
Bollywood remains as selfish as I always thought it to be.
They only speak up when they're in danger of going out of business since everyone wants to boycott them. Till now, they were silent spectators to all sorts of bullying to different sections of society.
— Zainab Sikander Siddiqui (@zainabsikander) October 12, 2020
A report by The Indian Express even highlighted how nervous the industry has become with constant echoes of ‘who’s next’.
The timing of this legal action is also interesting. It was filed three days before cinemas reopened after being shut for seven months due to the Covid-induced lockdown. Now, that cinema halls are back in business and several big-budget films of these A-list actors are lined up (Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb and Ranveer Singh’s 83 to name a few), no wonder a spine was found somewhere in all that apathy.
In all of this, it is important to remember their silences. Bollywood may have found a voice now, but it is a selfish one, and only for itself.
Views are personal.
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Good Article: Un-intentional Lesson: Do not take photo just for keeping real motto under cover.
1. Some are bad; some are good. You can catch good or bad in a frame of photo.
2. Film heroes can act as war heroes , scientists , fighters doctors , showing their beautiful muscular bodies , for three hours , but when it come to real fight at ground zero , most of them are Zeros .
a. Cinematic intelligent, cinematic heroism, “heroinism: Let them do motivation thru films and live as law abiding citizen. That’s all.
b. We want real life soldiers to fight with enemies and talented scientists to invent Vaccine for Corona and Doctors and Nurses to treat patients.
c. We want software engineers to protect our cyber, engineers not only assemble the imported items in India, but to make them A to Z in India.
d. We want those who can help India to stand on her own legs (pairon pe apne khade hoke dikhayega Phir yeh zamaana humaara hai” )
3. Now press freedom is at its nauseating peak .Anyone on can anything? Ignore Karo.
Its a zing thing.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…..
The Cons have spoken
There was also quite a bit of noise from a certain actor who took the trait of ‘making everything about herself’ to the next level……HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA..HA
The author is a rice bag and she is so afraid of Kangana Ranaut I’m loving it. Miss author you asked about boycotting them well the thing is youth is already boycotting them. We use telegram and other means to watch whatever good they make we don’t pay them so it’s already a kind of boycott. Can’t wait till Mirzapur gets on telegram. I’m not going to buy any subscription of Netflix or Amazon but I’m going to watch all their hard work for free. That’s a bigger slap than boycott
Obviously the #BrahminScumbags have got a burnt bum….apply a kilo of burnol please…..at least then let us see if #Modi’s Economy recovers.
You need to stop with the casteism. Racists and Casteists like you don’t deserve a place in this world. Peace out.
So true an idiotic article ..a fake narratives peddler…people will decide fate of bollywood..moron enough not to get the drifts
So true an idiotic article .a fake narratives peddler people will decide fate of bollywood moron enough not to get the drifts of common public. Seems isolated island of verbal diarrhoea
Yes, true Indian’s will boycott the bollywood movies of few people who are behind the SSR case, drugs and against Republic. They can’t stop voice. If they are coulprits, they must be sent behind the bars. They can’t play the drama. I used to be big fan of few people who are in the list. I will boycott till they behave. It’s so irony that – bollywood suddenly woke up now. Where were they till now? This shows their lust behind money and fame.
Hahaha the print is trying hard to please their islamic audience…go ahead no one in India except some anti nationalist communist give a shit about your media house.
Why? They are the best entertaining source for the general public.
Rather the partial tv media should be boycotted.
Agree with Ranjit Jyoti. Tsunami has already hit ..and d repurcussion are being felt. Rightly so. What can we Expect from you .. you want to gag all the ppl, media, party who talk truth wh was hitherto were covered/ wrapped in a NGO’s twisted and distorted and Peddler of fake news. Keep doing.
This TSUNAMI will take likes of you too. You gave the encouragement to boys of Balrampur, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh n media like you cannot speak of lynching of Rahul. Keep it up.
Bollywooa like other industries is a livelihood generating enterprise and has so far been above politics,communalism ,casteism etc and minding its own business. Now how many of our industrialists like Ambanis, Adanis,Tatas ,et.al. speak about the rape of that poor soul but the Godi press donot question them because the so-called journalists will lose their bread and butter
SSR has not committed suicide the investigation is still going on. Don’t use suicide word in your article.
Bollywood knows only money. Moreover why to look upon Bollywood for any issue of political or social relevance. What are the credentials of Bollywood persons like Khans, Kapoors, Bhatts or Bhansali to speak on matters of national issues. They are good only on making crude films by distorting history and insulting our ages old culture like Padmawat and PK or like Sanju which glorifies drug addiction.
So the author is a terrorist and drug sympathiser ?
Who even watches bollywood anymore? We watch Netflix
Why unnecessarily waste time. We can live without cinema and Bollywood and nowadays if one look at cinemas from SOUTH India they are dubbed and better off in all respects.
I have BOYCOTTED Bollywood.
We can’t spoil our young generation for ‘ nautankid’ of Bollywood.
They are basically all selfish and MP s of Rajya Sabha from Bollywood wasting our tax payers money.
There should a surgical strike and also a committee be formed to watch out all and everything of these Bollywood businessand Male practices and to stop spoiling young generation on drugs, sex, education, history and to stop creating bad worst images of Police, Politicians and teachers. And to stop defaming maligning and getting bad repute agait Hindu religion, custom, rituals and beliefs.
Finally the Bollywood should be sealed for 1 year atleast until and unless a special committee is formed.
If this media house if independent, why has it written the words ‘views are personal’ below this article?
It is important for our media which claims to be independent to take a stand. And yes you will get bullied by the powers that be. But to sustain that may be easier for a publisher than a person.
So please take a stand. Treat every news by merit and not political outlook. And some day we may have independent media which surely the public will not let fail by providing grants.
Dont conclude it as suicide .Bollywood killed him .Murderers are hiding within Bollywood soon theyll be exposed ..Bollywood is spineless so as you Shekhar Gupta
Amazing write up by John
The bollywood is a community of artists. I think they should refrain themselves into getting into politics or religious matter. This boycotts are the product of their own doing. They should focus on their art. If they want to outrage then they can make a movie about the facts. They are unable understand the working of the World outside the films. Their is no hero in the outside world.
What a liar, biased and Jihadi mentality author! & of course the Congress/Chinese funded communist @The Print!!
1. Author says: “The 34 top Bollywood producers who have come together include the otherwise absent Khans and surprisingly even Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, who have made it fairly clear what their political ‘preferences’ are.”
As if we don’t know where the political preferences and loyalties of the absent Khans lie!!
1. Author says: “We’re all here for love, girl,” to quote Priyanka Chopra’s.. The actor was questioned by a Pakistani woman at an event for having supported India’s military action against Pakistan despite her being a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.”
Oh ye?? So does this stupid anti national rice bag convert author support Pakistani Islamic terrorism with no military action from India??!!
Does United Nations Goodwill Ambassador also mean supporting Islamic terrorism & VIOLENCE????!!
The last sentence of the 8th paragraph says, “The least said about Kangana Ranaut the better.” Then the second sentence of the 11th paragraph ends by saying, “Kangana Ranaut peddled hate against everyone.”
Print shamelessly asks for subscription and to support their journalism by writing this kind of rubbish things….. Great…. Do you guys really think we gonna pay for this nonsense??
Arnab Goswami is considered a literate person. . Few monks were brutally lynched .This is sad. But he started vilifying Sonia Gandhi with his ugliest metaphor. His frenzy , tantrums selective choice of his masters voice degraded him. We ,who were fond of his anchoring before Republic was born are dismayed. He did not allow any view opposing his masters . Why he invited others people if they are not allowed to talk. It is difficult to understand why he shouts most of the time of anchoring. Some are saying he is courageous. Why he goes every issue on Supreme court. Does he think Maharastra High court will not give him justice.~Following him, that lad of Times of India spreads canard. In a Tagore small poem, it is written বাবু যত বলে, পারিষদ দলে ,বলে তার শতগুন।
The Print is funded by Congress. So don’t expect an unbiased and fair article from them. Thanks to government who decided to open the theatre because it will show the bollywood their actual worth. Many so called stars will have sleepless nights soon. No one is going to watch their movies. Social media trends are very small sample size. Go to field survey and you will got to know the mood of public about bollywood. Huge losses will be seen in near future resulting complete destruction of Bollywood. They were somehow relaxed till now because this was not the case with OTT paltforms. A large number of people boycotting bollywood are general citizens and not followers of BJP.
If the Author Rachel John’s views are personal then why make it public and add a disclaimer saying it is personal. And more over we know what Prints affiliations and views are.
Bollywood never had any spine! They just come together like pigs. This is the nepotism at its peak. When they can’t take on media alone they come together. Drugs, abuses, casting couches, favourism are an integral of Bollywood which no one can deny. Why they took so long to file a case if they were innocent.
Who authored this article? Who is Rachel John and how can she speak for the whole of Bollywood? Is she an insider? Does the Bollywood consist of only these 30 odd people who have ‘come together’ ? Sorry. Wont buy this motivated piece of nonsense. A wrong is a wrong, no matter who does it.
The problem really is that people even choose to watch Bollywood movies. If people spend their time and money on more worthwhile things and ignore Bollywood, India would be a far better place.