Deepika Padukone’s bikini sparks outrage in India

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone donned an orange bikini for a song in her new film with Shah Rukh Khan, angering India’s conservatives and prompting protests by an extremist group.

The reason for their anger is that the name of the song in the Hindi film Pathan is Be Sharm Rang, which translates to ‘Shameless Ring’.

Saffron (saffron), the color yellow or orange, is considered sacred among Hindus.

Regional leader and minister of state for the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party Niratham Mishra, who has made similar interventions in the past, expressed his displeasure with the two Indian actors on Wednesday.

Home Minister of the BJP-ruled central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh Niratham Mishra has objected to the color of Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan’s dress and demanded its ‘correctness’.

Niratham Mishra said that ‘Deepika Padukone’s outfit in the song is highly objectionable in hindsight.’

He further said that ‘the imagery of the song is clearly a reflection of a polluted mentality. The song scenes and costumes should be corrected otherwise it will be a question whether the film should be allowed in Madhya Pradesh or not.’

His comments were soon followed by protests in the state demanding a ban on the film’s release in January next year.

Members of a right-wing outfit called ‘Veer Shivaji Group’ gathered in Indore city and burnt effigies of the two actors. Shivaji was a 17th century Indian warrior king.

Rajesh Kesarwani, another member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party BJP from Uttar Pradesh, has criticized the song.

He termed the use of this color in the song as an ‘insult to the Hindu community’.

“One of the songs in the film was being obscene with saffron color and it is an insult to the Hindu community and the Sanatan (a term used by Hindus for Hinduism) culture,” he said. So we have expressed our concern.’

Indian films and actors have faced criticism from the BJP in the past for symbols of Hinduism.
Earlier in July, a Toronto museum apologized for playing material that an Indian filmmaker showed the Hindu goddess Kali smoking.

Critics accuse Narendra Modi’s right-wing government of violating the rights of minorities and ending religious freedom in India.

The US State Department’s annual report on international religious freedom has said that religious minorities in India have faced threats during 2021.