Political analyst and Bigg Boss 13 fame Tehseen Poonawalla came down heavily on those blaming actor Vicky Kaushal for causing the riots in Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra with his film Chhaava. He also took a dig at Swara Bhasker, calling her a 'third-rate actress', and said that she was one of the real culprits in the scenario.
For those unversed, massive violence and clashes occurred in Nagpur over the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, days after the release of Vicky's blockbuster film, Chhaava, which showed the gruesome torture inflicted by the Mughal Emperor on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. A section of the internet slammed Vicky for making the film and even termed it 'propaganda', accusing him of spreading hate against a particular community.
Tehseen reacts to hate against Vicky Kaushal
Reacting to the hate directed towards Vicky, Tehseen took to his X handle on Wednesday, and wrote, "It is utterly deplorable to pin the blame for the Nagpur riots on Vicky Kaushal’s stellar portrayal of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj or the blockbuster film Chhaava. Art — be it a movie, a book, or any creative expression — does not wield the power to ignite violence; it is merely a mirror to society, not a matchstick. If a film offends, skip it or craft a better one; if a book irks, ignore it or pen a superior tale — violence is no one’s right, ever (sic)."
He went on to say, "The real culprits here trace back to a third-rate actress and Abu Azmi, who shamelessly glorified Aurangzeb, only for right-wing groups and even a Maharashtra minister Rane & Telangana MLA T Raja to fan the flames of hate to a vicious crescendo. Yet, notice the hypocrisy: neither Azmi’s children nor Rane’s kin nor Raja’s family took to the streets—why? Because the privileged stoke chaos from ivory towers, leaving the poor to bleed and the middle class to bear the scars (sic)."
"Let’s end this spiral of hate — unite in the resounding cries of Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani, Jai Hind, Jai Bharat—and in this sacred month of Ramzan, embrace each other as one family. May India rise and prosper, undivided! (sic)," he concluded.
For those unversed, Swara was at the receiving end of severe criticism after she had compared people's reaction to Chhaava to the Maha Kumbh stampede incident.
About Nagpur violence
Following the violent clashes in Nagpur over the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a curfew was imposed in the city, and the order continued to remain in place even on Wednesday to avoid any untoward incident. The clashes erupted during a demonstration organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in the city.
Visuals of mob pelting stones and setting vehicles on fire have gone viral on the internet.
