Top Bollywood filmmakers Monday defended popular actor Aamir Khan, who is under attack from the Hindu nationalist opposition for speaking out against the government's handling of people displaced by a massive dam project.
NEW DELHI — Top Bollywood filmmakers Monday defended popular actor Aamir Khan, who is under attack from the Hindu nationalist opposition for speaking out against the government's handling of people displaced by a massive dam project.
Theater owners and activists of the Bhartiya Janata Party-controlled government in the western Gujarat state, where the Narmada Dam project is located, said Khan's latest film "Fanaa," or "Self Destruction" will not be screened in the state unless the star takes back his remarks.
Khan -- who has publicly criticized the government's handling of the so-called rehabilitation of people displaced by the dam's reservoir -- has refused to apologize, and has said in recent interviews that he had hoped for more support from the film fraternity.
Yash Chopra, Bollywood's top filmmaker and also the producer of "Fanaa," said he would take a delegation later this week to Gujarat to meet BJP leader and state Chief Minister Narendra Modi to express his opposition to the issue.
"What is happening is not right. You cannot stop a film like this," said actor Anil Kapoor, who has thrown his support behind Khan.
Proponents of the enormous dam project say it will eventually provide drinking water to 40 million people, irrigate land and generate electricity for Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh states. But the project's opponents contend that the homes and farms of 35,000 families will be submerged when the dam is complete.
"Aamir has just expressed his views on rehabilitation. Why should the industry suffer losses? Why should the film suffer?" said producer Chopra.
Source: Associated Press
Contact Info:
