'Besharam Rang' Controversy: Onir Says Now Goons Will Decide What We Watch

Filmmaker Onir is the latest Bollywood celebrity to slam those who criticisied actors Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan's new song Besharam Rang. The song, from the upcoming film Pathaan, courted controversy the day it was released because of the colour of the outfits won by the two actors. 

Taking to Twitter, Onir wrote, "Can’t imagine that the most important thing to debate for a bunch of politicians (whose claim to fame is propagating hate and dividing the country & instigating violence) & the mainstream media is the costume worn by two actors for a song!" He also added the hashtags--unemployment, inflation and climate crisis.

Onir also re-shared a video posted by a news channel on Twitter in which MLA Sadhvi Pragya spoke against Pathaan. He wrote, "No point of film certification board/judiciary/law enforcement agencies .. now goons will decide what we watch. Terrible times …"

The song titled Besharam Rang was released online on December 12, and soon became the centre of controversy. A section of the people found Besharam Rang objectionable over the choice of costumes and its colours. A few activists in Indore even staged a protest against Pathaan and Besharam Rang song and set effigies of Deepika and Shah Rukh on fire.

Earlier, actors Swara Bhaskar and Prakash Raj had also come out reacting to the song and the film. Sharing a screenshot of a news article that said the BJP-led government in Madhya Pradesh may ban the release of Pathaan, Swara wrote, "Miliye humare desh ke sattadhari netaon se. Abhinetriyon ke kapde dekhne se fursat milti, to kya pata kuch kar bhi lete (Meet our country's leaders in power. They may have done some work, had they had some time left after oggling at actor's dresses)."

Directed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan is scheduled to hit the theatres on January 25, 2023.