Bollywood has a long history of using religion as a primary tool in filmmaking. However, filmmakers, in exercising their creative liberties, often end up demeaning and degrading various religious beliefs, especially Hinduism. What's worse is the caste-based segregation of characters shown in films. For example, a corrupt politician, leader, or someone committing atrocities is often portrayed as an upper-class elite. A video shared by DD News explains this accurately, even citing an example. ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’: Pissed Netizens Trend #BoycottNetflix Over Anubhav Sinha’s Series Naming Terrorists ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’, but Here’s What Actually Happened!.

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan's 1978 film Ganga Ki Saugand is one such example. The action drama was directed and produced by Sultan Ahmed. Alongside Big B, the movie also featured Amjad Khan, Pran, Jeevan, Rekha, IS Johar and Bindu in key roles. The story for the film was written by Whajat Mirza.

Does Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Ganga Ki Saugand’ Mock Hinduism?

‘Ganga Ki Saugand’ Plot

Amitabh Bachchan's character, Jeeva, is the protagonist in the film. The plot of Ganga Ki Saugand revolves around Thakur Jaswant Singh (Amjad Khan), a tyrannical landlord who, along with Pandit Kashinath (Satyendra Kapoor) and Lala (Jeevan), has Jeeva thrown out of the village for a crime he did not commit. When the desire for revenge ignites within Jeeva, a character named Rehmat Khan (Anwar Hussain) steps in to help him seek vengeance. Furthermore, when the upper-class tyrants kill Jeeva's mother, he cuts his shika (a crest of hair on the back of the head kept by certain Hindu men) on the banks of the holy Ganga river. The mockery of the Hindu religion and its beliefs is evident if one watches this film.

2015 Report Shows Bollywood Majorly Targets Hinduism and Sikhism

A 2015 report by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) professor Dheeraj Sharma's report offers more clarity into the stereotypes in Indian cinema. The report published by Dheeraj Sharma in Hindustan Times read, "In nearly 78% of the movies promiscuous women had a Christian name; 58% of the corrupt politicians in films had a Hindu Brahmin last name; and, 62% of the corrupt businessman in films had a vaishya last name. Eighty-four of the Muslims in films were shown as strongly religious and honest (even when they are shown in the film as engaged in crime), and 88% of the films presented Kshatriya last-name individuals to be courageous. Nearly 74% of the films presented Sikhs as laughable." Let us tell you that the research was made after carefully selecting and studying 50 films from the 1960s to the 2010s. Amitabh Bachchan and His Son Abhishek Bachchan Buy 10 Premium Apartments in Mulund West for INR 25 Crore.

After reading the above case, along with the report depicting the situation in Indian cinema, do you think the government needs to step in and take some action regarding this? Let us know in the comments section below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2024 02:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).