#AntiHinduBollywood is trending on micro-blogging site Twitter, which has also called for a boycott of upcoming film "Singham Returns" amidst claims that the film is defaming Hinduism and its heritage.
In the sequel to Rohit Shetty 2011 blockbuster "Singham", Ajay Devgn reprises his role as D.C.P. Bajirao Singham, a no-nonsense police officer, while Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the female lead.
Scenes from the upcoming film show a khaki-clad Devgn saluting a Mazar (mausoleum) and many others, in which he is humiliating and insulting a character that depicts an Indian spiritual guru.
In Rohit Shetty's Singham 2 where hero is saluting some Majaar and kicking Hindu Guru. #AntiHinduBollywood pic.twitter.com/V3vOzanRNj
— Rinku Om (@Rinku_Om) July 22, 2014
This picture, that has now been circulated on the internet, and questions have been raised on why most Bollywood villains are Hindus and if it is part of a larger propaganda that is trying to brainwash viewers away from Hinduism.
#AntiHinduBollywood How many movies can u think of where villain cartel included Hindu Swami? how many with moulvi/pastor ?
— someone somewhere (@ls2008) July 23, 2014
"Shocking to see these Bollywood actors, feeling no hesitation defaming theiown religion for the sake of Money! #Shame! #AntiHinduBollywood
— Rashmiranjan sahoo (@HariommSahoo) July 23, 2014
While many felt Bollywood community as a whole is merely an investment centre for Muslim terrorists like Dawood, some others place the blame on the celebrities who choose money over integrity.
Dawood funding/milking Bollywood is open secret http://t.co/j5sFTGUDva #AntiHinduBollywood
— someone somewhere (@ls2008) July 23, 2014
Ajay Devgan & Rohit Shetty being Hindus done movie without objecting,blame them rather than blaming other religions #AntiHinduBollywood — SREENIWAS (@iSREENIWAS) July 23, 2014
Many even targeted acclaimed director, producer and screenwriter Mahesh Bhatt in this whirlwind of speculations, insults and debates.
#AntiHinduBollywood Mahesh Bhatt's call to Indian Muslims for Jihad against Hindus https://t.co/FO7nlqYwGu
— Vivek Bansal (@ivivekbansal) July 23, 2014
if the harami @MaheshNBhatt has guts, let him make a factual movie on #DawoodIbrahim with a khan playing Dawood #AntiHinduBollywood — #Quit_India (@Slapadelic_) July 22, 2014
Back on 2 January 2013, a video titled "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Bollywood" was posted on the spiritual guru's YouTube channel "Art of Living TV," in which he was asked about his comments on a recent Bollywood film, referring to Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal starrer "OMG", which showed idol worship in bad light. In light of #AntiHinduBollywood, this video has risen to prominense with supporters of the trend reverently quoting him.
The spiriual leader, in the video, had commented on how without idols, pictures, music, dance and colourful festival is synonymous to Indian culture, and that the country would be no better than Afghanistan where statues of 2000 year old Bamiyana Budhas were destroyed.
"You can't put all Ashrams into one basket and say they're hopeless. You can't say all temples are simply... looting money..What do the Bollywood do?.. For 'Vicks' advertisement they have to come and sneeze two times.. that's it... two, three Crores they take home. And what do they do? Drink, go for drugs and drinking, partying and waste money. Whose money they are wasting? Public!"
He goes on to add that most Bollywood celebrities engage in "immoral, unethical behaviour," and are miserable. "And they say there should be no idols, there should be no poojas, don't go to satsangs."
"You will see in Bollywood, anybody wearing a Tilak will be a villain. Someone with a little chotti..He must be a bad guy. They bring the dignity of people who are practicing the ancient wisdom or religion in a bad light, so that the young people can move away from that. The more young people move away from the traditional values, they can make them susceptible for drugs.. All these lobbies work towards them. What stops youth from drugs, I tell you. It is the religiosity."
"Unfortunately Bollywood is destroying its (Indian culture) by projecting it all in a negative light. And who is funding this? Coming from Dawood-type of people".
On the other hand, there were many users who got vocal about how ridiculous the hashtag is, and speculated that it must be a BJP initiative.
When you find #AntiHinduBollywood on top of twitter you realise the 85,000 jobless BJP social media volunteers have some work to do :)
— Kunāl Majumder (@kunalmajumder) July 22, 2014
Minds of fickle minded Indians are badly f*cked up by politics leading to embarrassingly funny things trending like #AntiHinduBollywood #WTF — Suppahman (@Springfielderz) July 23, 2014