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Why Arjun Rampal saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ should worry Bollywood audiences

Production houses and big studios are already fast-tracking projects pitched by pro-Hindutva players. Choking those who choose to remain outside these charmed circles is not a big deal.

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” is the high-minded cry on which actor Arjun Rampal ended his acceptance speech at a recent awards night in Mumbai.

A few in the startled audience clapped uncertainly. Earlier, he had spoken emotionally about his personal trauma while filming the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks scene for the first instalment of Dhurandhar. He plays Major Iqbal in the film, the semi-fictitious rogue Pakistani ISI agent who masterminds the operation. Rampal shares his birthday with the dreaded date… and said he was celebrating at this very hotel that terrible night when he heard the bombs ripping Mumbai apart. He choked back tears at the memory as he raised his trophy high into the air and cried, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!”

The final act of Major Iqbal in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, just before he meets a fiery end, is to shout, “Long live Pakistan.” Perhaps Rampal was atoning for the dialogue on stage.

Coincidentally, quite a few other awardees at the event, who were being felicitated for their achievements in movies and on OTT platforms, had themselves performed in hyper-nationalistic Bollywood movies such as Dhurandhar. Among the audience were stalwarts, staunch BJP supporters, and showbiz patriots from other political backgrounds such as Anupam........

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