Two films on two political leaders and a lot of controversies – Thakrey and Accidental PM -movies seem to be the brand new flavour of the campaign for the approaching Lok Sabha elections. To preface this text, I must admit that I actually have deeply rooted political opinions. Unfortunately, I have trouble biting my tongue once I disagree with others. Although, it isn’t for the loss of trying. It has been growing these past decades. It is a way of conducting politics, predicated on the belief that Indian’s life is not divided by moral difference or policy divergence — not really — but by the failure of half the country to know what’s good for them.
A biopic on Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and Another movie, based on the book The Accidental PM by Sanjay Barua, by the same name depicting the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh as the prime minister, Needless to say, both the films have already run into controversies.
If you’re making a film about, say, the plight of homeless veterans, then by means of all method you will insert a political message into that. The target audience may not believe it; however, you have full rights to make a movie with a message you will probably even win an Oscar for it.
The world knows how sensitive Indian politicians are: they keep banning works of art, entertainment and scholarship that they think can hurt the religious, regional, cultural, moral or national sentiments of a particular group of voters or their own for that matter.
An ill-conceived attempt to try and super sense but now as Congress has back paddled on that; BJP will be asked why to support a privately made film. Is this actually been used as propaganda in the Congress alleged? Many are now asking the movie Accidental Prime Minister is a deliberate hit job on the Congress. Especially after the BJP’s official twitter handle decided to promote the film. Many Congress leader said that the film’s name can be Accidental PM but it is crafted beautifully by BJP’s too fun the movie and demean congress.
Youth Congress Leader in Maharashtra demanded a special screening and it is banned from releasing in Madhya Pradesh. What I believe is every film regardless of merit deserves to be screened. There should be no such cries of pre-censorship. Why should politics be a holy cow for the film to be released?
Let us not abuse the creativity and hard work of makers. They are here to entertain people and make a good film and if at all such political films are made in this country it will bring about a big change in the way freedom of speech and expression is viewed in the country and how the world looks at us in terms of freedom of expression and how we look at it ourselves.
Edited by Bishakha Jain
