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Journalism of Courage
Bollywood has often been regarded as a ‘soft target’ with growing censorship and protests against filmmakers. These protests have become quite violent over the years, raising serious concerns about artistes’ freedom in India. From the ban against Pakistani actors to the recent attacks on film sets, the problem seems to be only aggravating.
Recently, the sets of Padmavati was not only vandalised but also set on fire. Though the crew and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali were safe, it does not lessen the gravity of the situation. And like always, Amul has captured what most Indians feel about the uncalled for protests.
ALSO READ | Amul’s hilarious take on the Padmavati controversy is spot on
The diary company, known for its unabashed stance, released a cartoon on the attacks against Padmavati and we could not agree more. The cartoon depicts the Amul girl sitting in dismay, amid a destroyed set and raising smoke, referring to the set being torched. The topical says, “Vandalvaazi bandh karo” along with the tagline “Build, don’t destroy.”
This was the second time the Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor starer film was attacked by right-wing activists alleging that the film distorts the image of Rani Padmavati. Months after director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked on the sets of Padmavati in Jaipur, the film’s sets were vandalised and set on fire in Kolhapur this time. About 20 to 30 people reached the sets of the film armed with petrol bombs, stones, and lathis. They allegedly fought off the bodyguards and bouncers who were present at the sets.
Many historic researchers claim, queen Padmavati could be just a fictional character and not an actual person. The character of Padmavati was first mentioned in a 16th-century poem Padmavat, written in Awadhi by the Sufi poet, Malik Muhammad Jayasi.
