Veteran film actor Annu Kapoor has once again opened up a hornet’s nest by accusing the makers of Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De! India of trying to fit some sort of communal narrative.
The actor said that the filmmakers deliberately changed the lead character to a Muslim. (Annu Kapoor says Priyanka Chopra was ‘very upset’ about their kiss in 7 Khoon Maaf)
Kapoor pointed to the 2007 hit Chak De! India and said that Shah Rukh Khan’s character, Kabir Khan, was originally based on the coach Mir Ranjan Negi. But in the film, it was changed to a fictitious Kabir Khan.
What Annu Kapoor said
“The main character in Chak De! India is based on a famous coach, Negi Saab. But in India, they want to show a Muslim as a good character and make fun of a Pandit (Hindu priest). This is something old, where they use the idea of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb (Hindu-Muslim unity) to put a label on it,” Kapoor told Desk. This statement comes barely a day after Kapoor claimed that his 7 Khoon Maaf co-star Priyanka Chopra did not want to kiss him on screen as he was not a mainstream hero. That remark had also ignited controversy.
Annu Kapoor is known for being part of movies such as Mandi, Utsav, Mr. India, Ghayal, Hum, Aitraaz, and 7 Khoon Maaf, among others. He also does a Radio show, titled Suhaana Safar With Annu Kapoor.
About Chak De India
Chak De! India is a 2007 Bollywood sports drama film about Shah Rukh Khan’s character Kabir Khan. In the film, Kabir, (played by Shah Rukh) a former Indian men’s hockey player, is accused of betraying his country after losing an important match against Pakistan. To redeem his reputation, he becomes the coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, which is struggling and not taken seriously.
The film starred newcomers alongside Shah Rukh as the hockey players. The Shimit Amin directorial was critically acclaimed and also commercially successful.
