Lyricist Javed Akhtar is tired of people trying to communalise the film industry. Days after calling out French journalist Francois Gautier for spreading hate about Aamir Khan, starring in the film adaptation of the Mahabharata, Akhtar took to Twitter to set the record straight.
“I had joined film industry in 1965 on a salary of Rs 50 per month. In these 53 years, not for a second I have experienced or even seen any communal bias in our industry,” he wrote, vexed with Gautier for arguing that a Muslim (Aamir Khan) cannot play Krishna, who is regarded as a Hindu lord in the Indian epic.
Last week, reports surfaced that Aamir Khan is keen on making a cinema adaptation of the Mahabharata and is likely to do so after completing Thugs Of Hindostan. Several right-winged users on Twitter resorted to lambasting the actor, a Muslim, for being considered to play the role of a Hindu. One of them was Gautier, a French political journalist based in India.
Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient & sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata? Is @BJP4India Govt of @narendramodi going to be like the @INCIndia & just stand by in name of secularism??? Would Muslims allow a Hindu to play life of Mohamed?https://t.co/fC7bvbHkZE
— Francois Gautier (@fgautier26) March 21, 2018
To which, Akhtar responded:
You scoundrel, have you not seen peter brooks production of this great epic Mahabharsta in France . I would like to know which foreign agency is paying you to spread this kind of perverse and poisonous thoughts in our country
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) March 21, 2018
The next few tweets had Akhtar and Gautier having a public spat, with Akhtar accusing the latter of being paid by PR agencies to spread communal hate.
Mr Francois Gautier , would you tell us what is your deal with the PR agencies Like 20 20 India and Adelman India . Are they paying you well to spread negativity against the most ambitious fin project of India “Mahabharta” planned by Mr Mukesh Ambani and Aamir khan
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) March 24, 2018
Akhtar had earlier slammed the journalist for behaving like a PR machine, calling him “clueless” about Indian history and films.
“Can somebody educate this clueless idiot Gautier that a film Mahabharata was made in 1965 and had become a super hit. The producer’s name was Ghaffar Bhai Nadiadwala. This is India that we are proud of. Can some body explain it to the dimwit,” Akhtar had written on Twitter.
Can some body educate this clueless idiot Gautier that a film Mahabharata was made in 1965 and had become a super hit . The producer’s name was Ghaffar Bhai Nadiadwala. This is India that we are proud of . Can some body explain it to the dimwit.
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) March 26, 2018
Feature Image: Deccan Chronicle
