Freedom of speech and expression is going to face a serious challenge in 2015. Sony bowing down to the hackers pressure and subsequently pulling out its latest flick “The Interview” from releasing it in any form is an apt example. This also leads to a new beginning in digital warfare.
Back in India last Friday saw the release of the much awaited Raj Kumar Hirani’s star studded movie PK, featuring Aamir Khan as an alien. While the movie is gaining support for its entertainment quotient on social media, #BoycottPK has been trending on top of Twitter India trends.
The film is an Indian comedy-drama in which Aamir aka PK, an alien with a body similar to humans, lands on earth but gets stranded in Rajasthan as his spaceship’s remote control device gets stolen. Later PK learns that Delhi is the likely place where his stolen device has been sold, and people tell him only God can help him find the device. From here on the story is about PK’s struggle to get back his device which is with godman, Tapasvi Maharaj, who has been deceiving people that he got it from the Himalayas.
The comic attempt by the movie is also a satire on “God and godmen”. While most movie goers must have laughed over the satire, PK hasn’t gone down well for a certain section of supporters of the Hindu religion. People have found it offensive as they felt that PK has deliberately targeted the Hindu religion.
#BoycottPK is the result of this frustration which has been trending on Twitter for quite some time now. Some of the tweets listed below clearly highlight what has got people upset about the movie:
99% terrorist has no religion but remaining 1% has religion because that 1% are not muslim. Boycott mulla @aamir_khan‘s PK #BoycottPK
— Bharat Mata (@bjp_unity) December 22, 2014
This film openly abuses Hindu God & We are sitting helplessly Friends #BoycottPK and show them the power of #WeHindus pic.twitter.com/vZMD5WNDvp
— Renu Saraf (@renu_18) December 22, 2014
Jo darta hai woh mandir jaata hai @aamir_khan went 2 Haj. Would he dare use same language for Haj #BoycottPK pic.twitter.com/nzJA7ZRjBD — SUNIL JADHAV (@weJADHAV) December 22, 2014
#BoycottPK U2 idiots @RajkumarHirani & @amir_khan wud U everShow about Prophet Mohd. Marrying a 6 year old Ayesha? pic.twitter.com/M0kcrUoxqn — Ritu4India (@RITURATHAUR) December 21, 2014
Thoughts for #BoycottPK ! Be careful when you blindly follow the masses like Amir Khan & @RajkumarHirani ! Sometimes the M is silent….
— Internet Hindoo ! (@DrShobha) December 21, 2014
Don’t call for a ban on PK, that’s not right, but call for a #BoycottPK. The movie insults Hindus and our religion.
— Adityanot ™ (@Shanknaad) December 21, 2014
PK : MY Review – 1st Half is secular. 2nd Half is communal. Conclusion – Hindu community is bad among all communities. #BoycottPK — निshant™ (@NishJosh) December 21, 2014
Along with religion shown in a bad light, supporters of #BoycottPK are also miffed with the movie promoting love-jihad. The actors who play Indian-Pakistani estranged couple have been slammed on Twitter for their role.
#BoycottPK where Indian girl falls in love with a nice Pakistani boy, mocking all those ‘silly Hindu fanatics’ who harp about #LOVE JIHAD,
— Francois Gautier (@fgautier26) December 20, 2014
#boycottPK if u want Pakistani son-inlaws for ur Hindu daughters then PK is a must watch” — Vineet Upreti (@upretivineet) December 20, 2014
The country is already witnessing a lot of activities online and offline on subjects like Love Jihad – an alleged activity under which young Muslim boys and men reportedly target young girls belonging to non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam by feigning love, and religious conversion programs. A Bollywood movie touching some of these issues has only given a wider reach to it.
However, this hasn’t stopped people from watching the movie. PK has made Rs.95.21 crore at the box-office over the weekend.
Leading to complete support for #WeSupportPK and making it a winner in the trending war on Twitter.
Whole theater enjoyed PK in my area which is dominated by hindu population! Nobody is hurt & all shows housefull! :)) #WeSupportPK
— {{ THE PK DAY }} (@Bhaskar8883) December 21, 2014
#WeSupportPk r we still in nursery classes.. Cant dis morons understand dat PK mocks d malpractises in religion bt nt d religion as a whole
— KAREENA IS D QUEEN (@manishtamancha) December 21, 2014
Currently, #WeSupportPK is leading #BoycottPK by Rs. 90 crores.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) December 22, 2014
#WeSupportPK Because it exposes dhongis like Baba ramdev and asaram bapu
— Hypocrisy Watch (@bigotry_watch) December 22, 2014
To boycott PK you have to be fraud or jealous. To say #WeSupportPK you just have to be little smart and good Human Being. Choice is yours.
— एक था ठरकी… PK® (@twtrBOLLYWOOD) December 22, 2014
#WeSupportPK becoz it portrays effectively all that is wrong with religion in the 21st century and the challenges we need to overcome.
— Arpana Rawat (@ArpanaR1) December 22, 2014
The reason why ppl want to boycott PK is because they know that the movie is correct but just don’t have the power to accept it #WeSupportPK
— Reshanki (@edits_alizafar) December 21, 2014
Protesting against P.K, Hindutva trolls? Height of idiocy. Jobless freaks. Slime. #WeSupportPK
— Pranav Joshi (@PranavDNA) December 21, 2014
In a country like India where making fun of any religion can create serious issues, #BoycottPK is at least better than demanding #BanPK. However, it would be wrong to say that the movie PK has highlighted only Hindu practices in bad taste; the movie hasn’t spared fatwas against girls’ education, or conversions by Christian missionaries, either.
PK isn’t the first movie to do so, earlier we saw a similar outrage during Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider which was at the receiving end for being anti-Indian, and anti-Hindu. Banning the movie was on cards but fortunately nothing happened like that.
This new controversy has also given the much needed boost to the movie which has also been labelled a tad too long and often preachy drawing comparisons with Aamir’s TV show Satyamev Jayate.
For now it looks like #BoycottPK is helping the producers of PK draw more crowds to the cinemas halls. With the holiday season all set to start in India, the movie is sure to get into the 100 crore club very soon, thanks to one such factor #BoycottPK.
Image credit: Twitter
