The glamorous entertainment industry is synonymous with controversies. And there were a lot of them in 2022. As previously stated, Bollywood celebrities are known for getting involved in some sort of controversy, and this year was no exception. Bollywood, as we still fondly refer to it, suffered a complete washout at the hands of its southern counterparts in 2022. With movies too boring to discuss, the public’s attention shifted elsewhere. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s fashion choices made headlines. In Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir Khan, sporting a long beard and Mickey Mouse expressions, was heavily booed. Boycotting has become a national pastime on social media.
As the year 2022 draws to a close, we’d take a look back at some of the year’s most contentious issues of the industry.
The Boycott Movement’s Impact on Laal Singh Chaddha
Right before the release of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ Twitter users began trending the hashtag #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha, urging people not to see the film. At first, it appeared to be a harmless hysteria created by a group of trolls, but when the film was released at the box office, people realised the seriousness.
Some Twitter users went through the archives and found Aamir’s controversial “India’s growing intolerance” tweet, which they then circulated on the microblogging site. Some of Kareena’s previous controversial statements have also surfaced online.
Talking about the controversial statement in question, in 2015, Aamir Khan said in an interview, “Our country is very tolerant, but there are people who spread ill-will”. His wife, Kiran Rao, also made headlines when she said she considered leaving the country for the sake of their children’s safety. The film eventually failed to do well at the box office.
The Kashmir Files vs. Nadav Lapid, IFFI jury head
The Kashmir Files was screened at the International Film Festival of India last month in Goa. However, things turned ugly at the closing ceremony of IFFI, when the head of Jury Nadav Lapid addressed the audience and called the film “Propaganda, Vulgar“.
“All of us were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable openly sharing these feelings here with you at this stage. In the spirit of this festival, we can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life,” said Nadav at the festival’s closing ceremony.
Many people slammed him after that, including director Vivek Agnihotri, who challenged Nadav to show how the film is factually incorrect. “I challenge all these urban Naxals and the legendary filmmaker who came from Israel to prove that any single shot, event, or dialogue is not completely true,” he said.
Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot
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Ranveer became embroiled in a controversy earlier this year after posing naked for a magazine photoshoot. Following that, an FIR was registered against him. The FIR was filed by the Mumbai Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 292 (sale of obscene books, etc.), 293 (sale of obscene objects to young people), 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult a woman’s modesty), and provisions of the Information Technology Act.
On July 21, images from Ranveer’s photo shoot were leaked online. Ranveer was seen in them without any clothes on. In one of the photos, he was naked on a rug, recreating Burt Reynolds’ famous photograph.
Jacqueline Fernandez’s link to Conman Sukesh
On August 17, 2022, the ED named Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused in a supplementary charge sheet filed in a Delhi Court in the Rs 200 crore extortion case against conman Sukesh Chandrashekar. Since then, the actress has been embroiled in a never-ending controversy.
The ED has also summoned Jacqueline Fernandez several times in this matter for the purpose of investigation. The ED’s earlier charge sheet did not name her as an accused, but it did mention the details of the statement recorded in the case by Bollywood actors Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi. According to the earlier charge sheet filed by the ED, Bollywood actresses Jacqueline Fernandez and Nora Fatehi received top models of BMW cars as well as expensive gifts from the accused Sukesh.
During the investigation, statements of Jacqueline Fernandez were recorded on 30.08.2021 and 20.10.2021. Jacqueline Fernandez stated she received gifts viz three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, and two Gucci outfits for gym wear, according to the ED charge sheet. A pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a multi-colored stone bracelet, and two Hermes bracelets. She also received and returned a Mini Cooper.
Sukesh was confronted with Jacqueline on October 20, 2021, according to ED. Sukesh Chandrasekhar, according to Jacqueline Fernandez, had arranged private jet trips and hotel stays for her on several occasions. Jacqueline is currently out on bail, while conman Sukesh is in jail. The case is still being looked into.
Liger funding investigation
The ED interrogated actor Vijay Deverakonda for more than nine hours in connection with the PMLA case, which was opened after a complaint was filed with the central agency alleging that hawala money was invested in the film “Liger” by a top Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader. According to sources, Vijay was questioned in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). On November 17, the ED interviewed ‘Liger’ producer Charmme Kaur about an alleged FEMA violation. ‘Liger’ failed to wow audiences and was a box office flop. Authorities are still looking into the situation.