The recently released teaser for “Hamare Baarah,” directed by Kamal Chandra, has sparked significant controversy and backlash. The film, which boldly addresses the plight of Muslim women being treated as inferior beings and baby-making machines within their households under the guise of religion, has captivated audiences but has also provoked extremist factions.
Radical groups, including Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and extremist Mufti Salman Azhari, have issued death threats to the film’s director Kamal Chandra, and actors Annu Kapoor and Aditi Dhiman. These threats have been disseminated through social media platforms, particularly Instagram, where extremists have shared videos of beheadings accompanied by Islamic hymns and verses, warning the filmmakers of similar fates.
The extremists, some based in Mumbra, Maharashtra, with ties to the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), have escalated their threats by leaking personal information of the film’s producer, including phone numbers and addresses, urging their followers to take action against the film’s cast and crew.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, founded by the late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, is notorious for its violent protests over perceived insults to Islam. Rizvi’s group has a history of inciting riots and violence, including large-scale protests in 2017 over a minor change to an electoral oath and demonstrations against the Pakistani Supreme Court’s acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman wrongfully accused of blasphemy.
The film “Hamare Baarah,” featuring prominent actors such as Annu Kapoor, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Manoj Joshi, is slated for release on June 7. The movie, which recently premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, was initially titled “Hum Do Humare Baraah” but was renamed following a directive from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC
Authorities have taken note of the threats, and a case has been filed at the Junagadh B Division Police Station following the circulation of incendiary videos by Mufti Salman Azhari. The filmmakers remain undeterred, continuing their efforts to bring the movie to audiences despite the ongoing intimidation tactics from extremist factions.
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