Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday took a jab at those who are a part of the boycott culture targeting films and who encourage negative comments without full information about a movie.
Thakur highlighted that such comments are harmful at a time when India is keen on enhancing its soft power around the globe.
His comments come amid comes amid massive backlash and calls for boycott for Shah Rukh Khan’s starrer Pathaan.
“Our movies are earning praise worldwide today. When people talk negative… they just ruin the environment. And just to spoil the narrative, sometimes people comment without full information," Anurag Thakur said, news agency ANI reported.
“In case someone has a problem with a movie, they should talk to the concerned government department which can take up the issue with the filmmakers," he further said.
“At a time when India is keen to enhance its influence as a soft power, at a time when Indian films are making waves in every corner of the world, such talk vitiates the atmosphere," Thakur told reporters here responding to questions on boycott of films by various interest groups.
Thakur also strongly advocated for creative autonomy and said there were adequate safeguards in place for monitoring content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. “There should be no restrictions on creativity," Thakur said.
In fact, last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi too cautioned BJP leaders to not make unnecessary remarks against movies and movie stars.
During the BJP National Executive meeting, PM Modi said, “No one should make unnecessary comments that would overshadow the hard work we do.”
What is the Pathaan Controversy?
The film has received a lot of outrage for one of its song, ‘Besharam Rang’, in which actress Deepika Padukone wearing an orange swimsuit.
A few senior BJP leaders, including Pragya Thakur and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narrotam Mishra.
Following the boycott calls and protests, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the makers of the film to make some changes, including the song and submit the revised version before its release.
In fact, boycotting Bollywood films is on the rise. Of late, Indians on Twitter have called for the boycott of Bollywood films over a host of reasons: for instance, Laal Singh Chaddha saw a massive boycott push against it. Hrithik Roshan, who tweeted in support of the film, saw boycott calls against his upcoming film Vikram Vedha. Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan was not spared either.
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