Makers of Pratik Gandhi's film 'Bhavai' issue statement after title controversy

Pratik Gandhi Picture Courtesy: Mid-day Archives

Pratik Gandhi's film 'Bhavai' was earlier called 'Ravan Leela' that sparked major controversy over its moniker. The makers, after seeing the social media backlash, have issued a statement on their social media account.

The tweet read- "We trust this clarifies all the misrepresentations, doubts and misgivings regarding our film #Bhavai! See you in THEATRES on Oct 1. Watch the film with your friends and family!" The makers released a statement and clarified that the dialogue and the title ‘Raavan Leela' was not a part of the film and was removed from the promo as well, respecting the sentiments of the viewers. They also stated they had the highest regard for the Hindi culture and the Ramayana. The film or any other portion didn't hurt any religious sentiments or religious beliefs. Here's the tweet:

Gandhi, who shot to fame following his acclaimed performance as notorious stockbroker Harshad Mehta in last year's hit, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, said information explosion through the internet adds to the complexities of India as a country. Bhavai is a film about two people who work in a Ram Leela presentation and how it affects their personal life, off stage.

"It's very easy to colour the thoughts of people in the age of social media. If you are being bombarded with lies constantly, you tend to believe it. That is what is happening all across the world. India is a diverse country, in terms of religion, and the different schools of thought. It is easy to colour people's opinions using these things. The internet is cheap and people have spare time; it is a big evil that we are fighting," the actor, 41, said.

In Bhavai, Gandhi plays Rajaram Joshi, a stage artist who essays the role of Raavan in a Ram Leela, the dramatic folk re-enactment of the Ramayana. The actor said that while he is not justifying the actions of Raavan that led to his eventual fall, he is open to viewing the character as grey.

"When Valmiki wrote Ramayana, he could have described him as a black character, or talked about his shortcomings only, but he didn't. When this hasn't happened right from the beginning, who are we to claim what is right and what is wrong? Why was Raavan called a prakaand pandit (learned scholar) or a Shiva devotee? Perhaps he also wanted people to understand the greyness, and didn't want to paint him just as a demon."

There are several interpretations of the Ramayana across India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia, and it is interesting how people belonging to different countries have "tweaked the story and believed their versions".

Also Read: Pratik Gandhi: Knew we'd struggle with release as I was a nobody