Anubhav Sinha can’t understand why Mulk, his new powerful political drama that shows the isolation and persecution of the Indian Muslim, has been banned in Pakistan.
“This is such a predictable and banal response. As soon as you hear ‘Pakistan’ being mentioned in a Hindi film, just get rid of the film. At a time when Pakistan has risen to a new leader and a new hope, a film that talks peace instead of violence seems to displease them across the border,” says Anubhav irately, urging Pakistanis to download the film illegally to watch out.
“I know what I am asking them to do is illegal. But according to me, not watching the film would be even more unpardonable. In any case, don’t the Pakistanis watch all the films anyway regardless of ban or not?” says Anubhav.
The whole idea of doing a film on the dilemma of the Indian Muslim is according to Anubhav to snatch the monopoly of Hindutva back from the fringe elements. “I greet all my friends Hindu or Muslim with ‘Jai Shri Ram’. My biggest joy is when my Muslim friends unfailingly reply with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as I would to their ‘Asalaam Wale Qum’. I did many of my media interviews wearing saffron. I also did some in a Pathani suit. I love the color green as much as the color saffron. And to those critics who want to know why my storytelling in Mulk lacks subtlety, I want to ask you, ‘You want me to be subtle at a time when human beings are being lynched in our country?”
