Amid calls for a boycott by some a faction of right-wing supporters, Bollywood movie Chhapaak that hit the screens on Friday, garnered good response from viewers.
The film was embroiled in a controversy after actor Deepika Padukone went to Jawaharlal Nehru University to express solidarity with its students and faculty.
However, the opening of the film seemed largely unaffected by it.
Free screening
Rishi Verma, a 32-year-old businessman, who was at the theatres to watch the film said: “It’s an important film that highlights the issues faced by an acid attack survivor and it was worth watching... We are not involved in politics. These calls for boycotts are irrelevant.”
A free screening of the movie was organised by former MLA Alka Lamba for college students in Daryaganj. “After Deepika’s visit to JNU, a group started campaigning against this film and I felt that was not a good sign for a democratic country. So, we decided to organise a special screening,” she said.
Another 19-year-old viewer, Anindita Chawdhary, a student of Delhi University expressed disappointment over those protesting against the film. She said: “If you can ask others to boycott a film based on such a sensitive issue then it just shows what kind of a person you are.”
Most viewers expressed indifference to the “unnecessary” outrage over the movie.
Vineeta Singh, a 28-year-old homemaker, said she did not understand how anyone, driven by political opinions, could stand against a film on acid attack survivors.
“It was a thought-provoking film,” she said.
The film also received significant support online with hashtags — #ISupportDeepika and #HumDekhenge — trending with users posting photos of their tickets on social media platforms. A tweet reading: “People who carried acid in JNU are boycotting Chappak”, are doing the rounds on social media.
