Bollywood always wants to show a Muslim as a good character and make fun of a Hindu priest, says Annu Kapoor.

Annu Kapoor expresses dissatisfaction over Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chak De! India’: ‘In India, they want to show a Muslim as a good character and make fun of a Hindu priest’.

Shivam Pandey | HENB | New Delhi | Oct 25, 2024:: Veteran actor Annu Kapoor recently ignited a contentious debate with his remarks on Shah Rukh Khan’s 2007 film ‘Chak De! India’. Kapoor expressed discontent with the portrayal of the lead character, Kabir Khan, played by Shah Rukh Khan. He suggested that the character, allegedly inspired by Hindu hockey coach Mir Ranjan Negi, was intentionally altered to feature a Muslim coach leading a predominantly Hindu team, potentially fueling contemporary discussions on religious representation in Indian cinema.

Annu Kapoor stated, “The protagonist in ‘Chak De! India’ is inspired by renowned coach Mir Ranjan Negi. However, the filmmakers chose to depict a Muslim character in the lead role, while caricaturing a Hindu priest (Pandit).”

He criticized this creative decision, suggesting it promoted a skewed narrative of Hindu-Muslim unity, or Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, at the expense of marginalizing and demeaning Hindu characters. Kapoor opposed the Bollywood tendency of Islamic aggression in Film industries and cultural life.

The matter came to fore through an ANI podcast with Smita Prakash. Bollywood – once grossly controlled by ‘D’ Company, is yet not decontrolled by the gangster Dawood Ibrahim who has still a strong nexus with prominent film families including  Khans of Mumbai film industries.

The screenplay of ‘Chak De! India’ is the motivating story of Kabir Khan, Indian former men’s hockey player, who was framed wrongly for cheating his country by not winning an important match to Pakistan. He tries to redeem himself by training the Indian women’s hockey team to clinch the victory despite huge opposition from the society. The story was made to glorify the Indian Muslims who are often portrayed as victim of the society.

Annu Kapoor’s comments on ‘Chak De! India’ have sparked a heated debate. He claims that the Bollywood filmmakers intentionally balanced religious representation, but argues this approach demoralizes Hindu characters. Kapoor’s remarks have generated widespread responses, with some praising the film for promoting unity and others supporting his concerns about historical accuracy.
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__Inputs from ANI and ETimes.