Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer "Thackeray", a biopic on the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, was at the centre of a social media storm on Thursday with actor Siddharth among others calling it a propaganda film.
A day after the launch of the biopic's trailer, actor Richa Chadha also put out a tweet on the film, which releases next month.
Produced by senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the film features Siddiqui in the title role.
South actor Siddharth on Wednesday hit out at the trailer on Twitter, dubbing the biopic a "propaganda film" selling hate against South Indians.
"Nawazuddin has repeated 'Uthao lungi bajao pungi' (lift the lungi and *'#$ him) in the film #Thackeray. Clearly hate speech against South Indians... In a film glorifying the person who said it! Are you planning to make money out of this propaganda? Stop selling hate! Scary stuff!" he tweeted.
Several others, including commentators and journalists, also shared their view on the film.
In the late 1960s, Thackeray targeted south Indians, accusing them of snatching jobs from local Marathi youths. He also dominated the headlines for his anti-Muslim tirade.
"Poetic justice is when a Muslim actor from UP gets to play the part of the revered Marathi bigot in a propaganda film," the actor tweeted.
In 2016, Siddiqui pulled out of a Ramleela event at his village Budhana after Shiv Sena protested against him playing a character in the skit.
Siddharth also lashed out at the film's "conveniently un-subtitled Marathi trailer".
"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!" he said referring to the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Chadha, who has co-starred with Siddiqui in the cult "Gangs of Wasseypur" films, made what appeared to be a tongue-in-cheek remark on the actor's quick disposal of his recent portrayal in "Manto" -- a biopic on progressive Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto who painted a devastating picture of the Partition through his stories -- to embrace the extreme of Thackeray's persona.
"Are ee hamra Faijal toh bipolar nikla (Oh my Faizal turned out to be bipolar)" she wrote on the microblogging site, referring to Siddiqui's character in "GoW".
Amid reports that the censor board has objected to certain scenes in the biopic, Raut, who has also written the film, Wednesday said nobody can ban the film.
According to media reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has taken exception to certain scenes referring to the Babri Masjid and the south Indian community.
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