Raees. A movie that has caught the attention of cinema goers of all breeds, whether for good or for bad, it is another matter altogether. While the fans are eagerly waiting for the movie, to see the superstar flexing his muscles and mouthing whistle inducing dialogues, while romancing at the same time with a tinsel town beauty, the content oriented fans would be there only for the reason that Nawazuddin Siddiqui is playing an important role in the same. The movie has even caught the attention of the detractors, who are trying their best to make sure that Raees tanks in, on the lines of the previous movies of SRK, especially Dilwale & Fan [Dear Zindagi being a standalone exception].
However, there’s one angle to this movie that has been completely, in fact callously untouched. No mate, it’s not the fact that Raees is a loose adaptation of the life of dreaded gangster cum bootlegger Abdul Latif, though it might be true in terms of certain scenes. The angle untouched is the angle that should’ve actually been targeted, the angle of a hidden, rather cruel agenda being served in the name of entertainment. No, the man behind this is not Shahrukh Khan, though he could’ve been, given his soft side for pseudo secularism. The mastermind behind this evil agenda is the director himself, Rahul Dholakia.
Before we expose this man, let’s throw some light. Rahul Dholakia, for cinema lovers, especially those affiliated to art cinema [content and ideology driven cinema to be precise], is well known as the director of two path breaking movies: Parzania [a take on 2002 Gujarat Riots, from a Parsi’s perspective] & Lamhaa [a take on Kashmiri insurgency, through the eyes of the separatists and an army man]. Dholakia was even awarded the National Award for Best Direction in 2006 for Parzania. Riding on the critical success of both, Dholakia decided to make Raees, a film on the Gujarat mafia on the 80s, with a star studded cast for attracting the necessary eyeballs. So far, so good, right?
WRONG!
If you think Rahul Dholakia is a man, who aims to give content driven films to Indian cinema, you’re horribly wrong mate, for Dholakia has a hidden agenda as well, which until now, none has been able to perceive. Following are some startling facts [I might be wrong as well, in terms of exact details] which indicate that not all is well with the agenda of the Raees director:-
- Most of us remember Parzania being released only in a few select theaters, with the movie being banned in Gujarat, and the then CM, Narendra Modi being painted as murderous and intolerant, all thanks to it. However, not many know this, but Rahul Dholakia was one of the chosen few Indian dignitaries, who personally lobbied behind Narendra Modi being denied a US visa, taking advantage of a minor clause in the American laws dealing with foreign visitors, and using it maliciously to demonize Narendra Modi as a hardened bigot, who would go to any length to create another Holocaust.
- Interestingly, Mr. Dholakia’s treatment on such sensitive subjects is also under scanner. While Parzania demonized the Gujarat government and the majority community, who themselves had suffered equally in the Godhra riots, Raees is an attempt to glorify the Gujarat mafia of the 80s, and castigate the order of prohibition of alcohol. Lamhaa, a take on the Kashmir issue, was not a good one either, completely ignoring the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, while attempting to glorify the cause of Kashmiri seperatists. Haven’t we seen the same with Teesta Seetalvad, attempting to label the Somnath Temple raid as a bogus claim by the so called Hindu nationalists?
- When Narendra Modi was absolved of the riot charges by a team of SIT, led by honorable Supreme Court judges, on the account of lack of evidence, Mr. Dholakia personally castigated this decision, especially in context of the attack on Gulbarga society.
To quote Rahul Dholakia , ‘……it is not about Narendra Modi, it is about justice. He added that in spite of fighting a battle for the past nine years, the people have not got any closure and the case has gone back to square one.
Expressing his disappointment over the Supreme Court verdict of sending the matter back to the trial court, Dholakia said that the Gulbarg Society case is not just about legalities but also emotions.’ Well, we now know where Rahul Dholakia’s loyalties lie.
- While the full list is not available, it is alleged that Rahul Dholakia was one of the signatories of an open letter, published in Mumbai Mirror in early 2014, which openly called for voters to not vote for either Narendra Modi or BJP, for the fear that ‘right wing fascism’ would return with the victory of the main opposition party of that time, as alleged by pseudo intellectuals like Nandita Das, Mahesh Bhatt, Anjum Rajabali etc.
- Once when asked about the reason behind Gujarat riots, Rahul Dholakia flatly replied “Politics, Hate & Modi’. Years later, when Narendra Modi wished Parsis on their New Year, i.e. the Navroze, Rahul retaliated with a weak retaliation on the line of pseudo liberals:-
Truth be told, even if Shah Rukh Khan did not glorify a dreaded criminal in Raees, it is the nefarious agenda of Rahul Dholakia, which needs to be checked, if we really want India to progress in every field possible, including cinema. As one politicial thinker rightly commented, ‘To win the political war, you need to win the cultural war as well.’
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