Pathaan controversy: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone film stirs unrest; superstar’s effigies burnt in Indore
The whole furore around Pathaan is getting bigger. Yesterday, Madhya Pradesh minister Narrottam Mishra said the song Besharam Rang is objectionable. The whole hullabaloo seems to be around the saffron coloured bikini that Deepika Padukone has worn in the song. It is not even light orange or saffron but a rather deep shade of burnt orange. Many right wing people have given it a religious angle with Shah Rukh Khan being a Muslim superstar. The fact that he is wearing a green shirt has also come under the scanner. This kind of controversy is unheard of in Bollywood, and even in Indian cinema.
Now, news channels are reporting that members of an outfit called Veer Shivaji Group burnt effigies of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone at a chowk of Indore. They have asked people to remove the objectionable scenes and take notice of how the use of saffron bikini demeans Hinduism. The film is going to release on January 25, 2023 in theatres. It is just above a month. We have to see if these protests take on a bigger dimension in the coming days. This is not the first time that a Deepika Padukone movie has run into hot water. We know what happened with Padmaavat.
Pathaan is mounted on a huge budget. The actors have apparently already decided to skip interviews. Ajay Devgn did the same for Drishyam 2. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will be promoting Pathaan during the FIFA World Cup 2022. The superstar actress is already under the radar of right wing because of her visit to JNU.
