Rajkumar Santoshi disagrees with Shabana Azmi claiming that Batwara 1947 failed due to Sunny Deol playing Muslim
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The filmmaker defended Sunny’s character and insisted that audiences should look at the intent behind a story rather than the faith of a character.
Adding to this, Santoshi pointed to Amitabh Bachchan’s portrayal of Muslim characters in several films as an example of how cinema has historically embraced characters from different faiths. He shared, “It makes no sense to me. Amitabh Bachchan played a Muslim hero in Coolie (1983). So many of Manmohan Desai’s films had Muslim heroes. Are we at a point where we cannot accept a hero from the other community? We are sensible, good people, educated people. How are they saying there’s a big mistake in the movie?”
Meanwhile, The filmmaker further expressed concern over what he described as a decline in tolerance and inclusivity. Emphasising that the intent behind a movie should be considered, Santoshi shared, “We have become far less tolerant and inclusive as a people. You should look at the filmmaker’s intent and what the writer wants to say.”
Notably, Santoshi also spoke about his own religious beliefs while stressing that his approach is not against any faith. He shared, “I’m a Hindu. I go to the temple. My son’s name is Ram. I am not against any faith. But I want to take the best of every faith. Whatever the saints have tried to say about faith, it is always about equality. Hinduism has always been about inclusiveness, not exclusion.”
As per the latest buzz, His comments come after Shabana Azmi expressed surprise over the theatrical performance of Batwara 1947 . In conversation with Zoom, the veteran star had suggested that Sunny Deol’s casting as a Muslim character could have been a factor behind the movie’s reception.
In further updates, Azmi shared, “The thing is that you cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim. In Coolie and in many other films, Amitabh Bachchan very comfortably played Muslim characters. In Deewaar , he put 786, and that was accepted. So how do we understand this? Are they creating an environment where such decisions are being taken on purpose? I am not able to understand.”
On top of that, She further shared, “I am surprised at how people are reacting to it. Even the ones who watched the movie think Sunny Deol is playing a Pakistani. He is not. It is simply not registering in their heads. Even Bushra Ahmed (Pakistani star) objected to the movie’s language. She shared the Punjabi dialect used by the villain is not right. If both religions are not liking the movie, it means it is something which is pure and beautiful,” she added.
With Santoshi now weighing in on the debate, the discussion around Batwara 1947 has extended beyond its ticket-window performance to questions about representation, religious identity and the freedom to portray characters from different communities in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Source: Bollywood Hungama