New Delhi, August 30: Aamir Khan once drew the BJP’s ire for his support to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and his criticism of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. But it seems that both the BJP and the Bollywood actor has now decided to move on.
While Khan arranged for a special screening of Peepli Live for NDA MPs last week, top leader L K Advani — who watched the movie — on Sunday praised Khan’s home production for its “realistic depiction of village life”.
Advani, however, felt the filmmakers should have chosen a subject other than farmers’ suicide.
In his latest blog entry, Advani points out that Peepli Live would have been “very effective” had it chosen a subject like NREGA as its central theme.
Advani said he was “greatly impressed” by the caricature the film had made out of the rivalry of TV channels, and among politicians. “But I wish for the main theme of the story, the filmmakers had chosen some subject other than farmers’ suicide.”
“I told Aamir: I have been to villages in Andhra and Vidarbha where many such suicides have taken place. And I can imagine how distressed these families would feel if they were to see the film and find the tragedies they have passed through were being made an object of mockery. The film would have been very effective if it had chosen some subject like NREGA as the central theme,” Advani wrote.
Advani said the latest production of Khan showed once again that he is a “rare filmmaker” who never hesitates to experiment with off-beat stuff. He said the villages, which filmgoers generally see in Bollywood movies, are phoney, studio outfits. Peepli Live was a sharp contrast. “It was a starkly realistic depiction of village life,” he said.
Khan had to face the fury of the BJP — particularly its Gujarat unit — some years ago after he backed the NBA and criticised Modi in the context of the 2002 riots. The youth wing of the BJP had then even objected to screening of one of his films in the state.
——–Agencies