New Delhi: Social media users have slammed the recently-released dark comedy Ludo for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, labelling director Anurag Basu as “Hindu phobic”. The hashtag #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu was trending on Twitter Friday with more than 30,000 tweets.
Starring actors Abhishek Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao, the film has been criticised for a ‘Ramleela’ scene that shows Ravana’s sister Surpanakha, played by a sari-clad Rao, tell Ram: “Hey sundar nar, main teri deewani hoon, tu mera Bajirao, main teri Mastani hoon.”
Social media users have called it an “insult” to the “Hindu epic”.
@basuanurag You are insulting the #hindu epic #Ramleela in your #LudoOnNetflix webseries#Ram is a true icon of #Bharat & worshipped by millions of people around d world. Dont insult such icon for sake of money & fame. O Hindus lets unite against #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu @SG_HJS pic.twitter.com/YxdycCwDlZ
— Prashant Patil (@pp_pune) November 27, 2020
Many have also called for a boycott of the film, and some have asked Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar to “take action”.
With due respect, @juniorbachchan and @basuanurag Look this denigration of our Hindu Gods cannot be tolerated any more.@MIB_India @PrakashJavdekar ji, please take action.
We demand the culprits be booked at any cost. pic.twitter.com/SUC94enjrF
— HJS Mumbai (@HJSMumbai) November 27, 2020
This comes days after an FIR was registered against Netflix for a kissing scene between a Hindu girl and Muslim man in the series A Suitable Boy. BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had sought action against the OTT platform.
एक #ओटीटी_मीडिया_प्लेटफॉर्म पर "A Suitable Boy" नामक फ़िल्म जारी की गई है। इसमें बेहद आपत्तिजनक दृश्य दिखाए गए हैं जो एक धर्म विशेष की भावनाओं को आहत करते हैं। मैंने पुलिस अधिकारियों को इस विवादास्पद कंटेंट का परीक्षण कराने को निर्देशित किया है। pic.twitter.com/oYSiizJxCQ
— Dr Narottam Mishra (@drnarottammisra) November 22, 2020
On 11 November, the government had announced that all OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sony LIV, ZEE5, Disney Plus Hotstar and others would be brought under the purview of the information and broadcasting ministry.
‘Ridicule of Hinduism’
Social media users called Ludo to be a “straightforward ridicule of Hinduism” and labelled Basu as a “repeat offender when it comes to hurting Hindu sentiments”.
The two and a half hour film 'Ludo' has the same objective. Straightforward ridicule of Hinduism. Symbolically, the entire film attempts to hurt Hindu culture.#Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu@Np_Hjs pic.twitter.com/q4CECRmzVI
— Satish Kunchpor (@kunchpor) November 27, 2020
Anurag Basu, a repeat offender when it comes to hurting Hindu sentiments, had earlier twisted Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's short story Kabuliwala, to show a Hindu girl offering namaz. #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu pic.twitter.com/HKpu8jkNaV
— Satish Kunchpor (@kunchpor) November 27, 2020
They hit out at Basu’s earlier work, including 2015 Netflix series Stories by Rabindranath Tagore for a scene where a Hindu girl is shown performing namaz, in an episode of the ‘Kabuliwala’ tale.
In ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ series by #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu on Netflix, 'Kabuliwala'…
The little girl, Mini, does Namaz as Kabuliwala has not turned up for a few days…
And her father too joins her!Now Yet another attempt to set Anti Hindu narrative in film Ludo pic.twitter.com/Y6q5lFTy00
— HJS Bangalore (@HJSBangalore) November 27, 2020
Guruprasad Gowda, Karnataka-based coordinator of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, said, “We have just seen how a cartoon led to #Parisbehading and worldwide protests. Would Anurag Basu ever show such scenes of other religions and dream of being untouched?”
Ludo directed by #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu chooses to depict our gods in such a demeaning manner.
We have just seen how a cartoon led to #Parisbehading and worldwide protests
Would Anurag Basu ever show such scenes of other religions and dream of being untouched ? pic.twitter.com/k1imuql0DA
— Guruprasad Gowda (@Gp_hjs) November 27, 2020
News publication Kannada Sanatan Prabhat, which describes itself as a “nationalist newspaper striving for establishment of a Hindu Rashtra”, tweeted saying: “After Aamir Khan’s anti-idolatry PK, just to hurt Hindu sentiments #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu has added such scenes in #Ludo. Time to unite and boycott such movies!”
Intentional depiction of Hindu Deities in comic scenes though unrelated to theme of #LudoOnNetflix
After Aamir Khan’s anti-idolatry PK, just to hurt Hindu sentiments #Hinduphobic_AnuragBasu has added such scenes in #Ludo
Time to unite and boycott such movies!@GemsOfBollywood pic.twitter.com/0euI3ObQQa
— Kannada Sanatan Prabhat (@Sanatan_Prabhat) November 27, 2020
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram
Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it
India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.
But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.