For a while now, we have seen the power of the internet, in doing both good, as well as causing harm. At a time when cancel culture and boycotts have become a thing, they do call the shots. While films have already witnessed quite the uproar against them for various reasons, it is now time for another. Netizens are calling for a boycott of Laxmmi, featuring Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani.
This isn’t the first call for a ban on the film, as the makers had to also change the title due to the uproar earlier. Originally titled Laxmmi Bomb, many were unhappy as it hurt their religious sentiments. And now, there seems to be another outrage around it, as it apparently promotes Love Jihad!Â
Check out some of the tweets calling for a boycott of Laxmmi:
A complaint has been lodged in Mumbai against #Laxmmi movie for hurting religious sentiments!@CPMumbaiPolice kindly take appropriate action agaist it
Now #Hindus will oppose it in a constitutional way!!#Ban_Laxmmi_Movie #LaxmmiBomb pic.twitter.com/Oxp7Z883st
— HJS Mumbai (@HJSMumbai) November 5, 2020
Just look at this vulgar dance. Is this even a dance? This is pure mockery.
On top of it, they are dancing in front of Mahadev who all Hindus revere and love. This is pure disrespect !!#Ban_Laxmmi_Movie and #BoycottBollywood https://t.co/iIYUtXgIdg
— Bharath Prabhu (@Bharath_Pss) November 5, 2020
#Ban_Laxmmi_Movie
Promotion of Love Jihad in the guise of creative cinema cannot be tolerated. This movie should be banned immediately. The fundamental right under article 19 gives us the freedom to free speech & expression. But it is being misused & hurts hindusentiments.— Bhaskaran Srinivasan (@bhaskaran09) November 5, 2020
#Ban_Laxmmi_Movie
We will not tolerate any disrespect of our God, Godess any more.
censor board should not allow this movie to release in theatre.@Ramesh_hjs @TigerRajaSingh @bharatranragini pic.twitter.com/tYntHVZ3Dw— Sadashiv Ghag (@GhagSadashiv) November 5, 2020
While there might truly be a lot of things wrong with the movie, is this really why the film should be banned? What seems to have now become a herd mentality to call for a boycott on anything and everything, there is more to this. The movie set out to do something that truly needs representation, but it fails to do so correctly.
Among other things, Love Jihad is definitely not why there must be a call for boycott of Laxmmi, but for transphobia, among other things. The movie sought to change a narrative, or so we thought when we first heard of it, but that is not the outcome. The trailer sure did seem to create quite the buzz, but those who reason against it, know why it isn’t doing anything special.
We need to call a boycott on the ban and ban the boycott because this is not the way forward. At a time when there is so much wrong as far as freedom of speech is concerned, among other issues, this isn’t where we must be. So many things wrong, and yet we never look at the right things to call them out for!
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