Mulk, starring Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu, is extremely relevant to the times we live in. Holding a mirror to the systemic religious polarisation that’s currently underway in India, the film raises difficult questions about prejudice, tolerance and identity. Despite receiving great reviews, Mulk has generated much controversy on social media, with many trolls calling it anti-national and anti-hindu.
Writer-director Anubhav Sinha talks to The Quint about what the film Mulk is really about and what he is trying to communicate through the film.
“It’s a love story between Hindus and Muslims. Mulk is a love story. You get together, you live together, you fight, one makes a mistake, you separate and you get back together. I don’t know why this love scares some people.”Anubhav Sinha
When asked about trolls, Sinha explains that prejudice is like a virus, so only “infected people” try to spew venom online and malign a well-meaning film like Mulk. He says that such people are not his audience. Instead, his film targets “people who are susceptible to the virus.”
“I honestly feel bad for them [trolls]. This is the youth of this country, which has been employed for some pittance to spit venom all day without any motivation, without any feeling, by building some fake nationalism as if they are helping build a nation.”
The director further states that it was no coincidence that he chose to cast predominantly Hindu actors to play Muslim characters in Mulk. Making a Muslim actor play Murad Ali Muhammed (essayed by Rishi Kapoor), for instance, will give prejudiced people another reason to not like the character and identify with his pain, Sinha explains.
Sinha specially reflects on his treatment of Arti Muhammed (Taapsee Pannu) and SSP Danish Javed (Rajat Kapoor) and their relevance to the larger social commentary of Mulk.
Finally, when asked about the commercial success of the film, Anubhav Sinha shies away from discussing specific numbers, but is very proud of Mulk’s success at the box office.
“The success of Mulk will prove that the majority of India is still very secular.”Anubhav Sinha
Camera: Sanjoy Deb
Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
Camera Assistant: Gautam Sharma
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