Boycott Bollywood Trend: Union Minister Anurag Thakur Defends Freedom of Expression

Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, has made it plain that there can be no gag orders on the #BoycottBollywood movement since they don’t violate the right to free speech in a democratic society. Thakur spoke out against the pattern and highlighted that efforts should be made to avoid resentment. He highlighted that everyone has the freedom to express their opinions while disallowing any method to stop the drive.

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Representatives from Bollywood have voiced their displeasure with the #BoycottBollywood campaign and asked the government to respond. Thakur, though, voiced his displeasure with the drive. Additionally, he affirmed that the Balasahenchi Shiv Sena, the state's ruling partner, and their alliance will fight jointly in the Kalyan and Central Mumbai constituencies. According to him, every party reserves the right to consolidate its support base and will campaign together with its former ally.

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The #BoycottBollywood trend is not new to Bollywood; boycott requests have previously been made against a number of films. In an earlier interview, Thakur spoke out against the trend, saying that such unpleasant conversations taint the environment. He reminded everyone that India has the CBFC and that they should contact them or the department if they have any concerns about any films (I&B). Additionally, he claimed that OTT platforms had a three-tiered system for handling complaints.

After Sushant Singh Rajput passed away, the #BoycottBollywood hashtag first gained popularity, and in 2022, it had a negative impact on the box office performance of various movies, including Laal Singh Chaddha, Liger, Brahmastra, Raksha Bandhan, and others. A hashtag called #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha was trending on Twitter before Laal Singh Chaddha's release, urging people not to see the film.