'Stop selling hate': 'Rang De Basanti' actor slams Thackeray trailer

Tamil actor Siddharth, known for his Bollywood flick ‘Rang De Basanti’, has severely criticised the trailer of the upcoming biopic on founder of Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray.

As the trailer of Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer ‘Thackeray’ hit social media, a number of people found it distasteful that a hate monger is being treated as a hero but the first to speak from India was Tamil actor Siddharth.

Siddharth took to Twitter to criticised the  trailer for spewing “hate” against South Indians who Nawazuddin Siddiqui, while playing Bal Thackeray, refers to as “yandugundu” (a derogatory term invented for South Indians by the extremist politician),

Bal Thackeray, in his speeches, referred to people from South India as ‘yandu gundu’ and also used to  make fun of languages from the region.

The conveniently un-subtitled #Marathi trailer of #Thackeray. So much hate sold with such romance and heroism (Music, tiger roars, applause, jingoism). No solidarity shown to millions of South Indians and immigrants who make #Mumbai great. #HappyElections! https://t.co/F13jMcIRle

— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) December 27, 2018

“So much hate sold with such romance and heroism (Music, tiger roars, applause, jingoism). No solidarity shown to millions of South Indians and immigrants who make Mumbai great,” wrote the actor.

“Are you planning to make money out of this propaganda? Stop selling hate! Scary stuff!,” Siddharth added.

Thackery, the former chief of India’s extreme Hindu/Ethnocentric right-wing organization Shiv Sena, was known for his anti-Muslim and anti-South Indian stance all through his life.

The film, written and produced by Shiv Sena leader and lawmaker Sanjay Raut, which portrays him as a hero.

A number of Indian Twitter users also criticised the movie’s trailer.

#Thackeray admirer of Hitler, master mind of 1993 bombay riots, advocate of antisemitism (Muslims & South Indians), separatist all this being portrayed as heroics in #ThackerayTrailer that’s low standard, Those who care 4 #unitedIndia should #boycottThackeray @AnisPFI @prof_koya

— Abdul Raheem (@revolutionrahim) December 26, 2018

It will be really unfolding if the story of Bal #Thackeray is told about how he gave inflammatory speeches in 1992 which led to the killing of 1300 people, Hindus and Muslims combined.

Show this truth or else i am not watching this movie sugarcoated with lies. https://t.co/l1zWKE82XJ

— Danish Khan (@DKhantastic) December 27, 2018

The man responsible for the death of many #Muslims & whose party’s always campaigned against #migrants in #Maharashtra gets portrayed by a Muslim migrant actor in his biography. What an irony! #Thackeray @Nawazuddin_S @AmritaRao @ThackerayFilm @rautsanjay61 @ShivSena @AUThackeray

— Arhaan Rohan (@BongwhoBongs) December 27, 2018