Alia Bhatt starrer Darlings will hit the silver screen on August 5. Ahead of its release, the film is receiving major criticism on social media. Twitter on Thursday remained dominated by tweets under #BoycottDarlings and #BoycottAliaBhatt.
Tweeple are blasting and disapproving of the film and calling it out for promoting domestic violence against men.
Have a look at Twitter reactions here:
Darlings’ trailer was dropped on July 25. From its trailer, one could guess how the film’s trajectory goes from light-hearted comedy to a dark comedy which touches upon the subject of domestic abuse.
A section of social media users is calling for boycotting Darlings citing the promotion of domestic violence against men. As burdening as these allegations are, it is quite not the reality of the film.
The plot of Darlings is set inside a premise of how the wife, played by Alia Bhatt, of a volatile and alcoholic husband, played by Vijay Varma, tries to reform her husband’s insensitive behaviour, until one day she had enough, as she seeks revenge.
The storyline of the film can be anything but promoting domestic violence against men. At best, it can be critiqued for trivialising the reality of women who go through similar predicaments but don’t have the option to take similar stringent actions.
Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani starter Kabir Singh, which did quite a number at the box office, created a massive controversy during the time of its release. The film was accused of encouraging toxic masculinity and sexism in society. Some might also suggest that this portrayal of a woman seeking revenge in Darlings is quite similar to Kabir Singh.
However, the dynamics of both the characters are dissimilar to the point that it doesn’t actually need articulate reasoning for anyone to guess the difference.
Though it is important to comprehend that the actions taken by the lead in Kabir Singh were due to the complexity of the character, which could arguably be a celebrated reflection of hypermasculinity in society. It is quite contrary to the role played by Alia in Darlings.
Alia’s character doesn’t adopt a preceded mindset of every woman, her character only explores the extremes of a woman’s mindset who is responding to domestic abuse which sets the two characters apart as polar opposites in terms of dynamics.
The character played by Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh is an oppressor whereas Alia Bhatt’s character Badru is the one who is being oppressed. This is what would have happened to Preeti in Kabir Singh if she had enough of Kabir’s hypermasculinity way of life.
Nepotism hate
The call for a boycott by the so-called cinema lovers can be speculated to be fueled by the political bias against Bollywood that has recently settled into the country. The vilification of Bollywood, which tangibly came into play after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, began a reservation against star kids who profits off by being a product of nepotism.
Alia Bhatt, the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, also faced a lot of criticism for being a star kid. She, however, managed to recede the tag through her incredible performances in films like Gangubai Kathiawad, Gullyboy, Highway, Raazi, and others.
Bhatt troop and their political opinions
Another faction that has reservations against Alia and her family is the ones whose political ideologies do not align with the Bhatts. Alia and her family have had a history of speaking their mind and sharing unpopular opinions on several occasions.
Alia, during the Police Crackdown on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia, posted a question on social media urging her friends from the fraternity to tweet or message Prime Minister Narendra Modi by condemning the actions taken by the police.
Soni Razdan had also once opined how she will believe she would be better off living in Pakistan, which was said in light of the situation in India.
Have a look at the tweet here:
Alia Bhatt and her citizenship
Alia Bhatt and Soni Razdan have a British citizenship. The mother-daughter duo cannot vote during elections in India. Earlier, Alia has expressed about hoping to have a dual citizenship as she would love to vote.
Both Alia and Soni were brutually trolled over their citizenship back then.
The highly-anticipated film Darlings marks Alia Bhatt’s debut as a producer and her second collaboration with Vijay Varma after Gully Boy. Are you rooting for Darlings?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at the premises of Raj Kundra, a businessman and husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the alleged distribution of pornographic and adult films.
According to reports indicate that around 15 locations in Mumbai and some cities in Uttar Pradesh, including Kundra’s home and office, are being investigated.
Kundra is reportedly being questioned by the probe agency at one of the search locations. This money laundering case, which began in May 2022, stems from at least two FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Mumbai police against Kundra and others. He, along with others, was arrested in connection with the case but was subsequently granted bail.
This marks the second money laundering case against Kundra. Earlier this year, the ED seized assets worth Rs 98 crore belonging to Kundra and Shetty in a cryptocurrency investigation. However, the couple received relief from the Bombay High Court regarding this asset attachment.
In 2021, Kundra had told a local court in Mumbai that there was not even an iota of evidence with the prosecution (Mumbai Police) that would connect the app ‘Hotshots’, used in the alleged porn films racket, with an offence under the law.
But, the ED found that the ‘Hotshots’ app was being used by accused persons for uploading and streaming obscene content.
The businessman had refused his involvement in the creation of alleged porn content and he had claimed that he was falsely implicated and was not even named in the FIR and was dragged by the respondent (police) in the case.
Kundra claimed in the plea that he is being made a “scapegoat” for reasons best known to investigators.
The police had filed FIRs on the basis of complaints received from two women, while another woman had submitted a complaint at the Lonavla police station, around 120 km from Mumbai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’, based on 2002 Godhra train incident, saying the truth is coming to out.
He expressed his thoughts on social media platform X, saying, “Well said. It is good that this truth is emerging, especially in a manner accessible to the general public. A deceptive narrative can only last for so long. Ultimately, the facts will prevail!”
The Prime Minister’s remarks came in response to an X user who had shared a video of the film’s trailer, which was released on Friday.
‘The Sabarmati Report’ focuses on the tragic incident involving the burning of the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra station in Gujarat on February 27, 2002, resulting in the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. This event ignited widespread riots in Gujarat that year.
Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Amul V Mohan, and Anshul Mohan, and features actors Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, and Ridhi Dogra.
In response to PM Modi’s commendation, producer Ekta Kapoor expressed her gratitude, highlighting that his praise provided a significant morale boost for the film’s team. Resharing the Prime Minister’s post, she wrote in Hindi on X: “Respected Prime Minister, thank you very much for your encouraging words about #TheSabarmatiReport. They have invigorated our spirits. Your recognition of #TheSabarmatiReport confirms that we are on the right path. Thank you for your love and support.”
This is not the first instance of PM Modi praising a film. In 2022, he lauded Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’. He stated, “History must be conveyed in the correct context. Books, poetry, literature, and films all play a crucial role in this. You’ve likely heard the discussions surrounding ‘The Kashmir Files’; it has certainly ruffled the feathers of those who champion freedom of expression.” The film depicts the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley and features Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar, among others.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin praises Sai Pallavi’s film Amaran, says great to bring true stories
The trailer has been released in various languages, with notable personalities such as Nani promoting it in Telugu, Tovino Thomas in Malayalam, Shiva Rajkumar in Kannada, and Aamir Khan in Hindi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday lauded the team of Amaran including film starrer Sai Pallavi and Sivakarthikeyan as well as director Rajkumar Periasamy for capturing the bravery and dedication of Tamil Nadu army veteran Major Mukund Varadarajan in his film.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that he watched the film at the invitation of veteran actor Kamal Haasan
“I watched a movie yesterday #amrnnn after accepting the invitation of my artist friend @ikamalhaasan. It’s great to bring true stories to today’s youth in the form of books – as well as movies! Director @Rajkumar_KP, Major Mukund Varadarajan – Tirumiku has emotionally captured the bravery and dedication of Tamil Nadu army veteran Major Mukund Varadarajan. My congratulations to all the crew of Thambi @Siva_Kartikeyan, @Sai_Pallavi92 and #Amaran for portraying the roles of Indu Rebecca Varghese very well! Big Salute to our soldiers who protect the country – Major Mukund Varadarajan who lives in our memory! @RKFI @gvprakash,” Stalin posted on X.
Recently, the creators of Amaran released the film’s trailer, featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the titular role of Major Mukund Varadarajan. The film narrates the compelling story of the decorated soldier who commanded the Indian Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles Cheetah Company and made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Sai Pallavi joins the cast as well, and the film is premiering today.
The trailer opens with a striking statement from an officer to Major Mukund: “You do not choose 44 RR; 44 RR chooses you,” effectively setting the tone for the heroism depicted in the film. It offers glimpses into Major Mukund’s personal life, showcasing his family’s reaction to his choice to join the military and the love story he shares with Indhu, portrayed by Sai Pallavi.
Intense action sequences illustrate Major Mukund, as played by Sivakarthikeyan, in battle, where he resolutely declines a retreat order from his superior, asserting, “I’ll save every life I can and come back, sir.” Indhu expresses her pride, stating, “I am proud of him being an army officer and me being an army wife.” A poignant moment captures Sivakarthikeyan’s character stating, “This is the face of the Indian army,” highlighting his unwavering determination.
Kamal Haasan, one of the film’s producers, shared the trailer on social media, stating, “Leaders seldom choose a trodden path. They create one where there is none and blaze a new trail. #MajorMukundVaradarajan of Tamil Nadu is one such leader. We take pride in telling his story.”
Inspired by the true events chronicled in Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book “India’s Most Fearless”, Amaran serves as a tribute to a genuine hero. The trailer has been released in various languages, with notable personalities such as Nani promoting it in Telugu, Tovino Thomas in Malayalam, Shiva Rajkumar in Kannada, and Aamir Khan in Hindi.
The trailer concludes on an emotional note, featuring Major Mukund’s daughter asking Indhu, “You told me appa will come for my birthday, will he come?”
Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy and produced by the iconic Kamal Haasan, alongside R. Mahendran and Sony Pictures International Productions, Amaran poignantly tells the story of Major Mukund Varadarajan and his wife Indhu, encapsulating their journey of love, sacrifice, and the profound personal losses encountered during Major Varadarajan’s heroic service to the nation.
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