The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has called for a boycott of the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer Pathaan for ‘insulting’ the colour saffron.
The Mahasabha’s President Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, who is also the head of the Sant (Saint) Mahasabha said that it seemed that Bollywood had taken ‘supari’ (contract money) for destroying Hindu traditions.
The objection is to Padukone wearing an orange bikini in a song that goes ‘Besharam Rang’ (shameless colour).
Chakrapani Maharaj said, “The actress is shown wearing saffron in an obscene manner and the song being sung is Besharam rang, this is an insult to bhagwa (saffron) and to Sanatan. Bollywood is working completely against Sanatan dharm.”
“It is unfortunate that bhagwa, which is being referred to as besharam, (shameless) has once offered direction to the country and the whole world,” he said.
He also took on the censor board. “It is even more unfortunate that the censor board remains silent and approves such things and Hindu sanatan keeps getting humiliated”.
Chakrapani Maharaj said that he and all Hindus condemned this act deeply. “I ask all workers of the Hindu Mahasabha, the Sant Mahasabha and all Hindus to boycott this film. What can be a greater misfortune that bhagwa be called besharam. Bollywood people have become shameless To boycott them, make them flop will be our biggest victory.”
Calls to boycott Khan’s movie have been on for the last couple of days. Some stem from Khan advertising gutka while some pick up on Padukone’s visit to JNU to express solidarity with students attacked by a mob, before the release of her film Chhapaak. The saffron bikini is also drawing some ire.
The official trailer of Pathan on YouTube has so far received 1.8 million likes.
The boycott call for movies ruined box office collections for the Aamir Khan-Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer Laal Singh Chaddha recently. Yash Raj Films (the producer of Pathaan) was also targeted for its last release Brahmastra though it is unclear if the film was a hit as its production costs have not been revealed.
