‘Adipurush’ dialogues row to deepfake videos: Biggest controversies of 2023
There is a lot to be celebrated about cinema this year. But apart from blockbuster releases and India’s Oscar win, what also caught the attention of people were the multiple controversies.
Starting from the debate over the song ‘Besharam Rang’ to Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video, everything generated chatter online.
Here’s a quick look at some of the top controversies of the year:
‘BESHARAM RANG’ ROW
Shah Rukh Khan made his comeback with his blockbuster ‘Pathaan’. Other than the intriguing action scenes and storyline, what triggered a debate online was the Pathaan song, ‘Besharam Rang.’ While there were some who praised Deepika’s screen presence and stunning dance moves, a bunch of viewers were not happy with one of her costumes. The outfit’s colour sparked protests across the country.
Following the furore, the censor board recommended revisions, and in the final version, the ‘controversial’ outfit appeared in a scene following the song.
‘ADIPURUSH’ DIALOGUE CONTROVERSY
Om Raut’s mythological drama ‘Adipurush’ also created chatter online after the film’s dialogues were heavily criticised by fans. It was an adaptation of the epic, The Ramayana. It featured Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan in the lead. Other than the dialogues which were written by Manoj Muntashir, the movie was criticised for lackluster performances, poor screenplay and VFX.
The film also triggered a meme fest that took a jibe at the dialogues. Following the protest, Manoj Muntashir announced revisions to address viewers’ concerns and widespread criticism that affected the box office earnings.
ALIA BHATT’S LIPSTICK REMARK
Alia Bhatt’s actor-husband, Ranbir Kapoor, was trolled after his wife’s comments during an interview. In August 2023, the National-award-winning actor, during a lipstick-applying tutorial for Vogue, mentioned that her husband Ranbir Kapoor likes her natural lip shade and had previously asked her to ‘wipe off’ lipstick.
In the video, Alia could be heard saying, “One thing my husband [when he wasn’t my husband when he was my boyfriend as well] said when we used to go out at night, he used to say ‘Wipe that [lipstick] off. Wipe that off’. Because he loves the natural colour of my lips.”
The remarks made by Bhatt created a social media storm, with users brutally trolling Ranbir for his comment. Many even called Ranbir a ‘toxic’ partner. The ‘Animal’ actor also reacted to the trolling during his interaction with fans via Zoom and said, “Recently, I was reading some article about being toxic and something relating to some statement I made and I understand this. And I am on the side of the people who are fighting for toxic masculinity. If they use me as the face of it, it’s fine because their fight is bigger than just me feeling sad about them having an opinion about what I said. I look at the larger picture.”
RASHMIKA MANDANNA’S DEEPFAKE VIDEO
This year, other than controversies revolving around the films, an ugly side of technology also came to light. Several celebrities’ viral AI deepfake videos shook fans and the stars alike. The first biggest name from the film industry to fall prey to the technology was Rashmika Mandanna.
The menace then increased and several other Bollywood A-listers also fell prey to the same, including Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Kajol among others. Other than fans, big names in the industry such as Amitabh Bachchan, Vijay Deverakonda and others highlighted the issue, calling for preventive and corrective action.