Mumbai // A furious backlash against two Bollywood stars who complained of rising intolerance in India has highlighted the film industry’s uneasy relationship with politics, in contrast to Hollywood where celebrities are often lauded for their activism.
Top actors Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were accused of being unpatriotic after suggesting Hindu-majority India was becoming more intolerant, with members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading the onslaught.
“We have these highly polarised and heated responses to any political stand a film personality takes,” movie director Hansal Mehta said.
“There is no room for debate or discourse, especially when it comes to Bollywood celebrities,” he added.
Aamir – the star of Dhoom 3, one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies of all time – provoked a furious response when he said that a sense of "insecurity" and "fear" was gripping India.
Aamir, who like many Bollywood stars is Muslim, also revealed that his Hindu wife had even questioned whether the couple should leave the country.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain warned Aamir it was “not all right to malign” India and told the actor: “Don’t forget, India made you a star.”
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Is Aamir Khan right or wrong? What the celebs are saying on Twitter
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Television footage showed dozens of activists burning posters of Aamir in several Indian cities, while police protection at his Mumbai home was upgraded and social media was awash with criticism of the star.
The 50-year-old was the latest in a series of high-profile figures from the arts world to raise concerns about religious and cultural intolerance since Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi was elected last year.
Few of these were film stars. However, fellow Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan sparked a similar furore earlier in November when he referred to “extreme intolerance in India” after the lynching of a Muslim man in October over rumours he had eaten beef.
Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya accused Shah Rukh, one of India’s most top actors, of being “anti-nationalist” and said the actor’s “soul is in Pakistan” in a series of tweets he later retracted.
The rows were a rare foray into political comment for Bollywood celebrities, who usually remain quiet for fear of damaging their film prospects. If they do speak up, it is to pander to the ruling party.
"The fault lies somewhere in the Bollywood system," said Mehta, director of popular hits Shahid and CityLights.
“We want to hobnob with politicians and be extremely diplomatic. We don’t take a stand, and this is reflected in our films which are populist in their discourse.
“People can have political opinions in private, but in public they want to be in favour and this is often because of fear of a backlash,” he added.
In marked contrast, many Hollywood idols such as George Clooney and Susan Sarandon have voiced support for numerous issues, including climate change and human rights, without having their patriotism questioned.
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‘Intolerance’ creates fear in Aamir Khan
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For social commentator Santosh Desai, the angry response equated to the level of hysteria with which Bollywood stars are idolised across India.
"Instead of focusing on the point Khan has made, people are attacking his films, discussing his marriage and downgrading the app for the brand he endorses," he told The Times of India newspaper.
“At one level, this shows the disproportionate response India has to celebrities – it’s either complete adulation and deification or absolute vilification,” Mr Desai said.
Bollywood has not always shied away from tackling politics in its films, leading to run-ins with the government of the day.
In 1977 a satire on Indian politics called Kissa Kursi Ka (The Story of the Chair) was banned by the then-ruling party.
Aandhi (Storm) was also banned two years earlier as it was allegedly based on the life of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi. It was later released.
Bollywood and Indian politics have sometimes intertwined. Actor Amitabh Bachchan was briefly a Congress MP, but Vir Sanghvi – a columnist with the Hindustan Times – says the relationship "has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with threats".
“Bollywood stars pander to those who threaten them. They are scared of people who might disrupt their cinema screenings or organise demonstrations against them,” he said.
* Agence France-Presse
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
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Group C
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Nigeria
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
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Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.