Deepika Padukone's JNU Visit Is Being Massively Scrutinized. Just Because She Has A Spine?
Deepika Padukone visited JNU because she wanted to indirectly promote her forthcoming movie Chhappak? Many are calling it a PR stunt.?
Why didn't she say anything before? There are so many questions that people have asked on social media; others are busy trolling and abusing her. But, one thing we all are forgetting is that despite knowing things would backfire, she still took the risk. It was a big one indeed.
As Anurag Kashyap said that she is also producer of the movie, so let's not forget that "stakes are higher". And let's just forget the motive for a little while, and applaud her for taking a stand knowing that she would be subjected to a lot of hatred.?
Unlike the other big men of the industry like Akshay Kumar, who have made nationalistic movies based on social and political issues, she at least took charge and proved that she has a spine.?
What happened after her visit? Exactly what everyone expected. She has become the eye of the storm. Soon after her JNU appearance, #BoycottChhapaak started trending on social media.?
The trolls went to a different extreme when they started cancelling the same ticket to boycott her movie. It didn't take rocket science for anyone to figure it all out.
Then, some people tried to bring religion in this fight as well. How, you're wondering??
Some reports claimed that the acid attacker in the movie was named Rajesh and that he was a Hindu.?
BJP Haryana IT cell head Arun Yadav tweeted a photograph of Laxmi Aggarwal (on whom the movie is based) and wrote, ¡°This is Laxmi Aggarwal. Chhapaak is based on her. In 2005, a man named Nadeem Khan threw acid on her in Delhi¡¯s Khan Market. To keep the fabric of secularism intact, our Bollywood has named Nadeem ¡®Rajesh¡¯ in the film. #NameItLikeBollywood"
Later, it turned out to be a false claim.?
A man who attended the screening of the movie, took to twitter to write, ¡°I watched the special screening of the movie which was organised for acid attack survivors, and the claim on social media that the accused is portrayed as belonging to the Hindu community is false. The person who is convicted is presented as belonging to the Muslim community, and so are his relatives, with one of them shown in a Burkha."
If this wasn't enough, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said that Deepika Padukone shouldn't try to act like a warrior.
¡°It is easy to portray the character of warrior Mastani, when you have a director like Sanjay Leela Bhansali behind you. But in real life, when she does not have a director behind her, (then) she should not try to portray herself as a warrior or Mastani because it is now clear that she is unable to live that kind of life in reality," he was quoted as saying.?
Like if this wasn't enough, another controversy has erupted now. It is said that Advocate Aparna Bhat, who represented acid attack victim Laxmi Agarwal in court, is upset with Chhapaak and is planning to take a legal action against Deepika Padukone.
She wrote on Facebook, "Have never been the one to demand attention to my work. Deeply disturbed by the turn of events post watching Chhapaak. Compelled to take legal action to protect my identity and preserve my integrity. I represented Lakshmi in her criminal trial in Patiala House Courts... tomorrow someone will represent me in my cause...Ironies of life."?
While some people are trolling her, abusing her and dissing her. There are several others who are applauding her move.?
Many of her contemporaries rooted for her after she visited JNU.?
Several others are also taking a stand for her.?
But even that was questioned. JNU's Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar who has been facing flak for not doing enough during last week's mob attack at the prestigious university, questioned the support that Deepika Padukone is getting.
"I would like to ask all those great personalities coming to support agitators, what about thousands of students and teachers who are deprived of their rights of doing research and teaching? Why can't you stand with them," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has condemned hate against Deepika Padukone.?
"We condemn the hate being spewed against Deepika Padukone. It is a sad testament to where we stand as a society. Deepika came and stood with us, the injured and terrified students of JNU. It was an act of humane concern. We thank her," it said in a statement.
Her one visit has moved the entire nation. Did she not know what this will bring to her? She probably did, and so we applaud her for taking a stand. We all wanted a Bollywood star to speak and act strongly against/ in favour of what has been happening, right? Well, Deepika finally did that!
Like Shabana Azmi said, let's not forget that nobody, not even her contemporaries supported her during the release of Padmaavat. She got several death threats openly. She has been through a similar situation before. She knows how it feels to be in that spot.
