‘It’s not hidden, it’s not unintentional — inciting hate and violence is in the DNA of Dhurandhar.’
Key Points
- Dhadhak 2 Director Shazia Iqbal posts her views on Dhurandhar on social media.
- ‘Glad that most of y’all don’t care about minorities enough to even hide your blatant apathy.’
- Shazia makes her Instagram feed ‘private’.
Dhadak 2 Director Shazia Iqbal has hit out at Dhurandhar in an Instagram post that went viral.
‘What a sinister film! It’s not hidden, it’s not unintentional — inciting hate and violence is in the DNA of the film,’ she posted.
‘But it’s a ‘well made’ film guys… With some cool BgM. Well done industry dud bros. Glad that most of y’all don’t care about minorities enough to even hide your blatant apathy.’
Soon after, Shazia made her Instagram account private because she was reportedly flooded with hate responses.
When Subhash K Jha touched base with Shazia to know more about her post, she said she had nothing more to say.
“I was sharing my two bits on my personal account. I didn’t think it would be picked up by news,” she says.
“I don’t have anything more to add. Someday I would want to do a proper interview with you about films and state of art and dissent in today’s times but today is not the day.”
What other movie folk have said about Dhurandhar
Shazia Iqbal is not the only film personality who has spoken out about Dhurandhar.
At the Bengaluru International Film Festival, Anurag Kashyap felt that Dhurandhar was a ‘good example of a courageous mainstream film’. He said he liked the film but not some of its ideologies.
‘The dialogue about ‘This is the new India’ and one long political monologue, among a total of three scenes, were unnecessary. Even without them, the film’s impact would not have diminished,’ Anurag had said.
Hrithik Roshan had also posted about Dhurandhar, saying, ‘I love cinema, I love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control, spin them, shake them until what they want to say is purged out of them onto that screen. Dhurandhar is an example of that. Loved the storytelling.
‘I may disagree with the politics of it, and argue about the responsibilities us filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world. Nevertheless, can’t ignore how I loved and learnt from one as a student of cinema. Amazing.’
The Blasphemous Idea Dhurandhar Promotes
While Dhurandhar is a well-made film, drawing raves from audiences, much has been written about the politics it seemingly advocates.
Dhurandhar‘s most dangerous idea is that Director Aditya Dhar envisions an Indian State run by a deep state — an intelligence machinery not accountable to Parliament, courts, or voters.
Who is Shazia Iqbal?
Shazia Iqbal is a trained architect who started her film career as a production designer on many of Anurag Kashyap’s films. Her film Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, takes a closer look at the terrifying caste divide in India.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
