Controversies Surrounding Bollywood: The Boycott Trend Continues
A look at Bollywood films like Emergency and Padmaavat that faced the "Boycott Bollywood" trend before release due to controversies and social backlash.
Bollywood Movies That Faced the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ Trend: From Padmaavat to Brahmastra, How Controversies Shaped Their Pre-Release Journey
Bollywood has itself been named as “Boycott Bollywood”, where several films are boycotted on social media even before their release. This phenomenon,which is in most cases ran by social or political issues, has been a thorn on the neck of several top movies provoking controversies including protests. Here is a glance at some of the Bollywood flicks that crossed path with the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ phenomenon even before its inception.
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IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack: And one of them is the web series which is recently added on the list is IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series based on the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 angered people on social media for using Hindu names as codes for a terrorist group. This particular portrayal did not go well with the audience and there were demands of boycotting the social media platform X in this regard The incident highlighted the concerns over representation of religion and culture in Indian films.
Emergency: Like Akshay Kumar’s Bell Bottom, Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency also came under controversy before its release. The film which explores the dark days of the so-called ‘Emergency’ in India provoked many Sikh groups and organizations including the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). They alleged that the producers of those films had been producing wrong information to the public and urged the authorities to block the movie. The controversy which surrounded Emergency taught the people about the constant and continuing war between Bollywood and political groups that exist in India.
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Padmaavat: Padmaavat by Sanjay Leela Bhansali is among the best examples for the “Boycott Bollywood” trend as far as the movie is concerned. The movie which was reportedly based on the life of the legendary queen Rani Padmavati, sparked controversy particularly the scene where Rani Padmavati was shown to have a dream sequence with Aluuddin Khilji. This rumor resulted into massive protests, physical attacks on the artists and members of the crew including Bhansali himself during the shooting in Rajasthan. However, Padmaavat was released in 2018 and received massive response from the audience as well as critically acclaimed movie.
Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva: Even a highly anticipated film like Brahmastra was not immune to boycott calls. The controversy began during the film’s promotion when Alia Bhatt, one of the leads, responded to boycott calls by saying, “If you don’t like me, don’t watch me.” This statement did not sit well with many social media users, leading to a wave of boycott calls. However, the movie, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, and Mouni Roy, overcame these challenges and emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2022.
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Pathaan: Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan also faced the wrath of the “Boycott Bollywood” trend. The controversy centered around the song Besharam Rang, where actress Deepika Padukone was seen wearing an orange swimsuit, which some claimed hurt Hindu sentiments. The uproar led to protests and calls for boycotting the film. Despite the controversy, Pathaan became a major success, marking Shah Rukh Khan’s triumphant return to the big screen in 2023.
Laal Singh Chaddha: Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha was another victim of the boycott trend. Old interviews of Aamir Khan, where he spoke about growing intolerance in India, resurfaced before the film’s release in 2022. Additionally, Kareena Kapoor’s past comments asking people not to watch her films if they didn’t want to, further fueled the boycott calls. Despite being a Hindi adaptation of the Hollywood classic Forrest Gump, the film faced significant challenges due to these controversies.
These examples illustrate how the “Boycott Bollywood” trend continues to influence the fate of films, often driven by political, social, or religious sentiments.
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