Rajkumar Santoshi has responded to Shabana Azmi’s comments about the box office failure of Batwara 1947, particularly her observation that audiences may not have been able to accept Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character in the film. In an interaction with Variety India, Santoshi disagreed with the notion and questioned whether Indian audiences have become less accepting of protagonists from different religious communities.
Santoshi pointed to Amitabh Bachchan’s portrayal of Muslim characters in several films as an example of how cinema has historically embraced characters from different faiths. He said, “It makes no sense to me. Amitabh Bachchan played a Muslim hero in Coolie (1983). So many of Manmohan Desai’s films had Muslim heroes. Are we at a point where we cannot accept a hero from the other community? We are sensible, good people, educated people. How are they saying there’s a big mistake in the film?”
The filmmaker further expressed concern over what he described as a decline in tolerance and inclusivity. Emphasising that the intent behind a film should be considered, Santoshi said, “We have become far less tolerant and inclusive as a people. You should look at the filmmaker’s intent and what the writer wants to say.”
Santoshi also spoke about his own religious beliefs while stressing that his approach is not against any faith. He said, “I’m a Hindu. I go to the temple. My son’s name is Ram. I am not against any faith. But I want to take the best of every faith. Whatever the saints have tried to say about faith, it is always about equality. Hinduism has always been about inclusiveness, not exclusion.”
His comments come after Shabana Azmi expressed surprise over the theatrical performance of Batwara 1947. Speaking to Zoom, the veteran actress had suggested that Sunny Deol’s casting as a Muslim character could have been a factor behind the film’s reception.
Azmi said, “The thing is that you cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim. In Coolie and in many other films, Amitabh Bachchan very comfortably played Muslim characters. In Deewaar, he put 786, and that was accepted. So how do we understand this? Are they creating an environment where such decisions are being taken on purpose? I am not able to understand.”
She further said, “I am surprised at how people are reacting to it. Even the ones who watched the film think Sunny Deol is playing a Pakistani. He is not. It is simply not registering in their heads. Even Bushra Ahmed (Pakistani actor) objected to the film’s language. She said the Punjabi dialect used by the villain is not right. If both religions are not liking the film, it means it is something which is pure and beautiful,” she added.
With Santoshi now weighing in on the debate, the discussion around Batwara 1947 has extended beyond its box office performance to questions about representation, religious identity and the freedom to portray characters from different communities in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Also Read: Rajkumar Santoshi questions audience hesitation over Sunny Deol playing a Muslim in Batwara 1947; asks, “If Spiderman’s name was Aslam Sheikh, would they reject him?”
