Indians on social media have taken to protesting against Shahrukh Khan’s latest film with renewed vigor, as is typical of the far-right in India ever since the BJP and it’s leader Narendra Modi came to power.
Since then, the fabric of Indian society has begun to unravel while a much darker one begins to take shape that bears an alarming number of similarities with fascism in Germany and Italy in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The leaders stir up hate to manipulate the masses and the media, observing where the wind is blowing, supports the leaders by encouraging their views whilst defaming and falsely discrediting alternative views.
While India and Pakistan have had hostile relations with each other ever since the latter’s creation in 1947, there have been ways through which both sides could connect and co-operate peacefully in friendship. One of these outlets (and perhaps the most important) is cinema. While both sides may disagree politically, one thing that has bonded them is their love of movies.
It has proven to be one of the few ways through which they can forget all of their disagreements and enjoy together. While other forms of co-operation may be limited, both sides enjoyed and admired the performances of icons such as Javed Sheikh, Umar Sharif, Amithabh Bachan and Shahrukh Khan.
However, ever since the BJP took power, hostilities are slowly but steadily increasing between the countries. But the most alarming thing about all this is that it has gone to the point where the BJP is slowly eradicating the few shared outlets both sides have by targeting cinema. In the past few days, far-right movements within India have taken arms on social media against Shahrukh Khan’s latest film.
Shahrukh Khan is regarded as he most respected and loved actor not just in India but the entire sub-continent. Not a single actor alive or dead has the popularity he has worldwide. He is loved by both Indians and Pakistani’s not just because of his films but because of the fact that his father was from Pakistan while his mother was Indian, which made both sides regard him as a shared star.
However with the release of his new movie Pathaan, he has received severe backlash against him on Indian Twitter where they portray the narrative that viewing the movie is nothing short of treason and that ‘true’ Indians must boycott the film as result of which the hashtag BoycottPathaan has been trending for hours.
Khan or any of the people involved in makng Pathaan have yet to respond to all this.
Since then, the fabric of Indian society has begun to unravel while a much darker one begins to take shape that bears an alarming number of similarities with fascism in Germany and Italy in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The leaders stir up hate to manipulate the masses and the media, observing where the wind is blowing, supports the leaders by encouraging their views whilst defaming and falsely discrediting alternative views.
While India and Pakistan have had hostile relations with each other ever since the latter’s creation in 1947, there have been ways through which both sides could connect and co-operate peacefully in friendship. One of these outlets (and perhaps the most important) is cinema. While both sides may disagree politically, one thing that has bonded them is their love of movies.
It has proven to be one of the few ways through which they can forget all of their disagreements and enjoy together. While other forms of co-operation may be limited, both sides enjoyed and admired the performances of icons such as Javed Sheikh, Umar Sharif, Amithabh Bachan and Shahrukh Khan.
However, ever since the BJP took power, hostilities are slowly but steadily increasing between the countries. But the most alarming thing about all this is that it has gone to the point where the BJP is slowly eradicating the few shared outlets both sides have by targeting cinema. In the past few days, far-right movements within India have taken arms on social media against Shahrukh Khan’s latest film.
Shahrukh Khan is regarded as he most respected and loved actor not just in India but the entire sub-continent. Not a single actor alive or dead has the popularity he has worldwide. He is loved by both Indians and Pakistani’s not just because of his films but because of the fact that his father was from Pakistan while his mother was Indian, which made both sides regard him as a shared star.
However with the release of his new movie Pathaan, he has received severe backlash against him on Indian Twitter where they portray the narrative that viewing the movie is nothing short of treason and that ‘true’ Indians must boycott the film as result of which the hashtag BoycottPathaan has been trending for hours.
Khan or any of the people involved in makng Pathaan have yet to respond to all this.