New Delhi: On Twitter recently, the hashtag #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha was trending. Because boycotting forthcoming high-budget movies has become so common, I didn’t bother to delve into the whys. Let’s take a look at some of the boycotting Bollywood films and how they fared at the box office.
1. Padmaavat is a Bollywood film with a budget of 570 Crores:
Padmaavat has become one of the most divisive and boycotted films in recent memory. Despite the demonstrations, assaults on the set, death threats, and a bounty on Deepika Padukone’s head, the film grossed more than 570 crores worldwide.
2. My Name Is Khan is a Bollywood film with a budget of 223 Crores:
Shah Rukh Khan made a statement about Pakistani players not being selected for the IPL before the premiere of his film, My Name is Khan, which resulted in the film being boycotted. Shah Rukh Khan’s posters were sprayed with graffiti, his effigies were burned, and his patriotism was called into question. Despite this, the film became one of SRK’s most successful openers, grossing over 223 crores worldwide.
3. Bajirao Mastani is a Bollywood film with a budget of 356 Crores:
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani has seen it all: boycott petitions, cancelled shows, and protests in multiple places. The film “distorts history,” according to the demonstrators, and portrays Bajirao in a negative light. All of this appears to have enhanced the film’s appeal, as the film grossed over 350 crores at the box office.
4. PK is a Bollywood film with a budget of 854 Crores:
PK, directed by Aamir Khan and produced on a budget of 85 crores, grossed a total of 854 crores worldwide. Even though it was boycotted and had a lot of opposition before to its release. Some felt it offended Hindu religious feelings, while others claimed the film’s subplot endorsed Love Jihad. PK, despite everything, received a lot of critical accolades.
5. Lipstick Under My Burkha is a bollywood film with a budget of 26 Crores:
I didn’t want to start on this one at all, but here we are. Even after receiving several accolades, the CBFC refused to approve the picture, stating that it is “too lady-oriented,” well before it might face a boycott. Religious leaders then called for a boycott because it offended religious sensitivities.
