The Padmavati brouhaha

Of all the many physics theories one crammed in school, a few remain in the mind, one being Newton’s third law of motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

And so, responding to the hullabaloo over Rajput honour being compromised by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest film Padmavati, a recent WhatsApp message says: “True history of the proud Rajputs! Lost to Ghazni, Ghori and Khilji; Shamed by Babur; Tamed by Akbar; Thrashed by Marathas; Were on payroll of British; Followed most regressive, misogynistic customs like Sati and Purdah ; And today they are furiously defending the “honour” of a fictitious character.” Even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has tweeted that while “so-called valourous maharajas” had scurried to accommodate themselves when the British “trampled” over their honour, a film-maker was being attacked in the name of honour.

The Rajput Karni Sena and other fringe elements first offered a reward of ₹5 crore, and then Suraj Pal Amu, Haryana’s BJP chief media coordinator, raised it to ₹10 crore.

Fatwas are no longer confined to Muslim clerics and other fanatics. As Tamil Nadu’s film icon Kamal Haasan observed recently, the threat of violence has spread to Hindu outfits too. What is infuriating is the bucketful of filth that landed on actor Deepika Padukone’s head when she said in an interview that all the protests and threats against the film were “absolutely appalling. And where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed”. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy was the first to respond rubbishing her statement.

Known to be a gutsy celebrity, Deepika has spoken about her battle against depression and being on medication and saying categorically that it was nothing to be ashamed of. After the Padmavati sets were attacked, in a series of tweets tagging Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, she asked: “Who are these people? Who is responsible for their actions? For how long are we going to allow them to take law into their own hands & attack our freedom & right to individual expression time & again? This has to stop NOW & action must be taken!”

Expectedly, no action was taken and now theatres have been vandalised in Kota and other places in Rajasthan for screening a trailer of the movie.

Instead of action being taken against these goons, it is Deepika who has been subjected to filthy abuse on the social media. One disgusting tweet said: “ Jo har raat badley shauhar; Woh kya jane Rani Padmavati ka johar (One who changes a husband daily, how can she understand Padmavati’s self immolation).”

How dare these people take a high moral ground and attack the “character” of a woman just because she is a film star? Who gives them the right to do so? An apt tweet came from Hardik Rajgor who said: “I love India, where FIRs are filed for tweets and people are arrested within hours for Facebook posts but a guy is threatening to cut off an actress’s nose on camera multiple times and no arrest has been made so far. Don’t be fooled, non action is tacit agreement.”

And where is the public outrage from prominent people, particularly politicians? But then it would be futile to expect outrage from them, because when it comes to gender slurs, politicians, cutting across parties, are the same. Remember Laloo Prasad promising to make Bihar’s roads as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks; Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee’s “painted and dented” comment; Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam telling Smiriti Irani: “You used to be paid to dance on TV; now you’re a political analyst”; and BJP’s Rajasthan legislator Banwari Lal Singhal’s gyan that skirts cause sexual harassment? And of course the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid calling Shabana Azmi a “nachhnewali”.

It is easy to criticise Bhansali for striking a compromise through a private screening for select Rajput viewers, but big money and so many people’s hard work rides on his film. The objections to the film are both fictitious and trite: that the film shows the Rani romancing Khilji (who had lusted for her, and Padmavati and other women of Chittor, says the legend, had committed mass immolation when Khilji’s army attacked Chittor and its victory was imminent).

The Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) returned the film’s application as it was incomplete; meanwhile, the date of release has been postponed. Mercifully, film icons led by Shyam Benegal have spoken up asking what the Government was doing about such open threats made from media outlets.

While Padmavati ’s fate hangs in balance, the Supreme Court has refused to stay the release of An Insignificant Man , a documentary on Arvind Kejriwal, warning that creativity can’t be gagged and free speech is sacred. Amen!