It’s a Typical Rajput Situation, Says Anuja Chauhan on ‘Padmaavat’

“If you exert so much pressure only potty will come out.”

Trust Anuja Chauhan, the writer who gave India its motto in the form of “Yeh Dil Maange More”, to come up with witticisms like this in the course of a serious discussion. Sitting with her in Jaipur, I became acutely aware of how the art of laughing at oneself was fast getting extinct. Chauhan’s sonorous laughter does not hide the fact that she was livid at her fellow Rajputs’ reaction to Padmaavat.

Her caustic response to the Padmaavat controversy comes with her signature wit.

Actually, you know this whole situation is so Rajput! You haven’t seen the film, you don’t have information but you are out there protesting something. On the other hand, you have people like Swara Bhaskar saying, “Excuse me why are you glorifying Jauhar.” It’s ridiculous, it’s farcical!

Chauhan doles out some useful advice to all the possible stakeholders in one of the longest running and violent controversies around a contemporary film.

To The Artiste Community

In advertising there’s a saying I made very popular- “If you exert so much pressure only potty will come out.” Don’t try too hard. Just write and don’t think whether your work will be a hit or a flop or controversial or you will get into trouble. As creative people fulfill your duty of writing stories that make you get out of the bed every morning and just hit the laptop. That is your dharma.

Chauhan was deeply disappointed by the fact that all her friends and family members would end up watching Padmaavat before her. She reached Jaipur the day the film released so “No shit, Sherlock!” Her message to the state machinery that allowed hooliganism to continue unchallenged is clear: pull up your socks and get going.

To The State, With Love

I think the state has hugely let us down. The state should be out there saying, ‘I protect the freedom of speech and expression. Here is a film which has got the CBFC certificate and it should be allowed to release.’ It is your job to protect the makers of this film. It’s completely disgraceful that in the state of Rajasthan we are sitting here at Jaipur Lit Fest and haven’t seen the film! It’s a huge failure. The future generations are watching us and thinking “Yeah, that’s how it goes. I can be obnoxious and get away with it.”

Anuja Chauhan, Author

Chauhan is upset that the Rajput community not only believes in fiction but is also willing to inflict any kind of damage to establish fiction as fact. Commenting on the behaviour of Karni Sea protesters, Chauhan cited unemployment as one of the prime reasons for their violently expressed angst.

To Karni Sena (OF COURSE!)

If these people had jobs they would be doing something and not get involved in these kinds of things. 

Chauhan’s coup de grace is her attack on the Rajput pride. She shares how Rajput men need to get less narcissistic. It is their self-importance that created the whole fracas.

You are not the custodian of the women in your lives so please get over yourselves. If you are the kind of person who can’t read too much, at least read the Preamble and understand that people are allowed to say what they want and do what they want. This is democracy.

Chauhan urges them on to leave the past behind and live in the present moment. She decimates what she calls a typical Rajput trait of citing glorious lineage to feel important.

Please understand the difference between fiction and fact. You seem to be very confused. You may be a young Rajput lad or an old Rajput man who has led his entire life claiming to be a direct descendant of Rani Padmavati and when people say Rani Padmavati is fictional, you know you have a lot of skin in the game and come across as frauds. Stop living in the past.

Chauhan does not end her critique with the false pride of Rajput men. She is equally critical of Rajput women’s manufactured sense of outrage.

Wait....Rajput Women, This is for You!

My fellow Rajput women you did not come out on the roads when people said Rajput women don’t have education or that dowry deaths are happening. You haven’t come out to protest those burning issues. I don’t even know what you are protesting. I am a Rajput woman, I have a sister called Padmini but let’s face it, Rani Padmini was famous for being beautiful and committing suicide. Are these really the role models that we want for our daughters?’

Certainly not.

Chauhan signs off with another scathing remark, “Rajputs are known for being brave and not very smart and I think both those traits seem to have come out recently”.