Film: Singham Returns
Year of Release: 2014
Director: Rohit Shetty
Screenplay: Yunus Sajawal
Producer: Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgn
Lead Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anupam Kher
Ajay Devgn, as super cop Bajirao in the Singham franchise, was also an ambassador of Bollywood’s age-old narrative of ‘good-Islam-v/s-bad-Hinduism’.
This film has elaborate scenes and special songs on how praying at a dargah can reform criminals and save critical patients in the ICU. Of course, there is nothing bad with such portrayals by themselves, considering a man named Yunus Sajawal wrote the screenplay. Everyone has the right to extoll the virtues of their religion.
The problem is that the same film viciously attacks devoutedness in another religion. The villain is a Hindu baba named Guruji Satyaraj. Is this a way of saying that devout Hindus are horrible people and the good guys can only be found in a dargah (thereby extending a soft invitation for conversion)?
After this hit franchise, Devgn came up with the insufferable ‘Thank God’ last year, in which temple-goers were mocked for “butchering flowers to please Patthar.” It is disgraceful that Devgn has no qualms about taking up roles that denigrate Hinduism, even though he is quite a sought-after actor. It is as if he can promote Islam in his films only by maligning Hinduism.
The self-appointed reformer is busy with promotions of #Bholaa these days.
— Gems of Bollywood Fan (@FilmyKhichdii) March 23, 2023
I watch how Bollywood engages with and represents Hindu society. A non-Marxist film critic writing in English.
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