Bawaal: Israeli Embassy slams film makers for trivializing the ‘Holocaust’

New Delhi: After the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization focused on Jewish rights, another entity has raised concerns over Nitesh Tiwari’s film “Bawaal” for its portrayal of the Holocaust in a romantic drama. The Israeli embassy has expressed dissatisfaction with the film, claiming it trivializes the historical tragedy.

“Bawaal” follows the journey of Ajay Dixit, a high school history teacher played by Varun Dhawan, and his wife Nisha, portrayed by Janhvi Kapoor, as they embark on a Europe tour. During their trip, they visit significant World War 2 sites, including Auschwitz and Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam. The film includes controversial lines that compare marital conflicts to Auschwitz and portray greedy individuals as similar to Hitler. Additionally, there is a fantasy sequence featuring Janhvi and Varun wearing striped pajamas in a Nazi camp.

What Israel Embassy Said About Bawaal

In simpler terms, the Israeli embassy has criticized the film “Bawaal” for its portrayal of the Holocaust, claiming it belittles and diminishes the gravity of the historical event. The embassy expresses concern over certain lines and scenes that draw inappropriate comparisons and use the Holocaust as a backdrop for a romantic narrative.

In a statement, the Israeli embassy expressed its concern about how the movie “Bawaal” depicts and trivializes the Holocaust.

The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie ‘Bawaal’.

There was a poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie, and though we assume no malice was intended, we urge everyone who may not be…

— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) July 28, 2023

The embassy acknowledged that there may not have been any malicious intent behind the film but pointed out that there were inappropriate choices of terminology and symbolism. They are urging individuals who may not be fully aware of the horrors of the Holocaust to educate themselves about it.

The embassy emphasized their commitment to spreading educational materials about the Holocaust and expressed their willingness to engage in conversations to promote a better understanding of the universal lessons derived from this historical event.

The Israeli ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, also tweeted about the issue. He stated that he did not watch the film but was disturbed by what he read about the poor choice of terminology and symbolism. He encouraged those who lack knowledge about the Holocaust to educate themselves about it.

I did not and will not watch the film Bawaal but from what I’ve read, there was a poor choice of terminology and symbolism.
Trivialization of the Holocaust should disturb all.
I urge those who don’t know enough about the horrors of the #Holocaust to educate themselves about it.

— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) July 28, 2023

Director Nitesh Tiwari, in an interview with PTI, shared his approach to incorporating historical elements in the film “Bawaal.” He mentioned that he carefully selected incidents and events from World War 2 that contribute to the character development and relationships in the movie. Tiwari acknowledged the vastness of World War 2 and expressed his intention to incorporate relevant chapters from history into the film’s narrative.