Here's Why "Ban Laxmii Movie" Is Trending On Twitter

Laxmii, an upcoming Bollywood movie starring Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani, is receiving renewed backlash for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments. The film dropped the word "Bomb" from its title following social media outrage just a few days back. However, netizens have now expressed outrage over the movie’s new title as well as its alleged promotion of love jihad (a pejorative term used for inter-religious marriages/relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women) and are demanding a complete ban on its release on November 9.

#Ban_Laxmii_Movie Trends On Twitter

Actor Tusshar Kapoor, who is venturing into production with Laxmii, said that the movie’s title was changed “keeping in mind the feelings of everyone who had or didn’t have any issue with the earlier title” and to maintain “peace and positivity.” As per the movie's trailer, released on October 9, 2020, the film revolves around an inter-faith couple – Aasif and Priya. Twitter users have called out the movie’s makers for promoting love jihad. Additionally, netizens have attacked the makers on sacrilegious grounds for entitling a movie after Hindu Goddess Lakshmi and releasing the same on the occasion of Diwali. The widespread outrage has led #Ban_Laxmmi_Movie to trend on Twitter.

Also Read: Laxmmi Bomb Trailer: Sexism And Toxic Masculinity Dressed As Comedy

In Tamil Version "Kanchana"
Hero - RAGHAV
Heroin - PRIYA

While adopting in Hindi
Hero - AASIF
Heroin - PRIYA

It's not coincident, it's an deliberate act to spread "LOVE JIHAD"
So I appeal to all Hindus to boycott and #Ban_Laxmmi_Movie @Ramesh_hjs @shastria @_Payal_Rohatgi_ pic.twitter.com/ECVL4f9FDq

— 🚩🚩 अविनाश 🚩🚩 (@sharnagatavi) November 5, 2020

Tweeple are questioning the Censor Board for its silence on the issue as well. Moreover, they are highlighting the fact that Kanchana, the south Indian movie that Laxmii is a remake of, had portrayed both main characters as Hindus.

Will @CBFC_India ever dare to approve names for movies having titles that are sacred to other religions, with content which denigrates their religious beliefs ?

Tolerance of Hindus is being tested time and again !#Ban_Laxmmi_Movie pic.twitter.com/G6s3SXYc8K

— Guruprasad Gowda (@Gp_hjs) November 5, 2020

One Twitter user went on to write that the movie has portrayed Hindus as violent creatures and denigrated Hindu Goddesses through “cheap item numbers.”

Potray Love Jihad

Follow it up with showing Hindus as Violent

Cheap item numbers again denigrating Hindu Goddess

And give wrong Influence to the people

These are the harsh truth of Bullywood and I highly demand#Ban_laxmmi_movie@Ramesh_hjs@SG_HJS @Av_ADH @Gp_hjs pic.twitter.com/TmIBRUpS5e

— 🚩 Nagaraj Poojary 🚩 (@Np_Hjs) November 5, 2020

Notably, on October 17, the Hindu Janjagran Samiti (HJS) released a statement seeking a ban on Laxmii’s release for purposely encouraging love jihad.

Also Read: Laxmmi Bomb – Where are the trans people in Indian cinema?

What You Should Know: 

• #Ban_Laxmmi_Movie is trending on Twitter today.
• Many users have expressed outrage over the movie's alleged denigration of Hinduism and Hindu deities through its title and its alleged promotion of love jihad. 
• The movie's title was recently changed to Laxmii from Laxmmi Bomb.
• However, many Twitter users are not satisfied with the name change and are demanding a complete ban on the movie's release. 

Love Jihad: Reel And Real

Last month, an advertisement released by jewellery brand Tanishq came under fire for showing a Muslim mother-in-law celebrating her Hindu daughter-in-law’s baby shower. Shortly after the outrage died down, a 21-year-old commerce student from Ballabhgarh, Haryana, was shot dead by a Muslim man called Tauseef for rejecting his marriage proposal. The incident only worsened the outrage over "love-jihad" which has refused to subside ever since.

Here's the trailer of Laxmii which releases on Disney Hotstar, on November 9:

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.