Having rechristened his Pratik-led film Bhavai, director says he was “deeply hurt” by netizens taking umbrage to original title Ravan Leela
A still from the film
Hardik Gajjar started writing Bhavai with an aim of examining the complex ideas of good and evil against the backdrop of Ramleela. “Good and evil are the shades of the same man. Ram and Ravan are reflective of people’s perceptions. I had to simplify my thoughts into a screenplay. It took us four years to write it,” begins the director, who previously worked on popular television shows like Devon Ke Dev Mahadev and Siya Ke Ram.
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Gajjar had a bumpy start with the Pratik Gandhi-starrer, which was earlier titled Ravan Leela. After a section of netizens felt the title “hurt religious sentiments”, the makers rechristened it Bhavai. The director makes his displeasure clear, stating, “We live in sensitive times. We want to know the truth, but can’t bear it. There is a need to [sugar-coat] the truth. It’s a heartfelt love story. I was deeply hurt with the reactions that came our way. The people who reacted won’t even watch the film. I can’t make sense of trolls who hurl abuses. The allegations of sentiments being hurt is baseless. The film has been cleared with a ‘U’ certificate. We have been mindful of our culture, and there is nothing objectionable about the film.”
Also Read: Makers of Pratik Gandhi's film issue statement after title controversy
Hardik Gajjar
The raging success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) made Gandhi the toast of the town. Gajjar says he chose the actor for the project long before his brush with fame. “My reason for casting Pratik was to get a solid actor on board. I was never worried, but the market culture is such that only faces sell, not actors. That said, I knew the story was strong.”
Also Read: Despite title change, netizens demand ban on Pratik Gandhi’s ‘Bhavai’
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