As many political leaders continue to speak against Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s new movie Pathaan, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has now become the brunt of a new controversy regarding his “freedom of expression” speech.
Soon after calls to boycott Pathaan, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan talked about “questions being raised on freedom of expression” at a Kolkata film festival, sparking an almost instant backlash from the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
As quoted by ANI, actor Amitabh Bachchan said, “Even now, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression.” Bachchan made this statement seemingly in context to the noise against Pathaan, while addressing the Kolkata International Film Festival.
Snubbing the Sholay superstar’s statement, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said, “Amitabh Bachchan's words couldn't have been more prophetic since they were spoken in Kolkata, with Mamata Banerjee on the dais. It is like holding a mirror to the tyrant."
Coming to Amitabh Bachchan’s defence, TMC leader Nussrat Jahan said, “The signs of a TYRANNICAL RULE include banning movies, detaining journalists, and punishing common people for speaking the truth. CAPPING Freedom of Speech and Expression means just that.”
Shah Rukh Khan, who is set to make his comeback with Pathaan, also addressed the backlash against his film, saying, “The collective narrative of our times is shaped by social media. Contrary to the belief that social media will affect cinema negatively, I believe cinema has an even more important role to play now."
Pathaan is facing major backlash due to its most recent song ‘Besharam Rang’, which features actress Deepika Padukone in a saffron bikini, sparking outrage from Hindutva groups. Many leaders have also talked about imposing a ban on the movie.
The saffron bikini row has also prompted threats against Deepika and SRK, with parties urging that the particular scene be removed from the movie. However, the makers of Pathaan have not issued an official comment.
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