The new year has just begun and maverick director of Bollywood, Anurag Kashyap has already staked claim for the most foolish statement of 2017. Last year too Kashyap faced the wrath of social media for his idiotic comments, and 2017 was no different.
We had yesterday reported how 16-year-old Dangal star Zaira Wasim was forced into an apology by vile and abusive comments from Jihadi radical Islamists. We had also reported that now that a Bollywood actor had been targeted, it was time for the likes of Anurag Kashyap, to practise what they preach, and stand up and speak up for such bullied actors:
We in our film industry don’t even need to give a speech like Meryl Streep if we just start standing up with those who actually speak up.
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 9, 2017
Our Co-Founder @bhak_sala politely asked Anurag Kashyap to voice his concerns and show solidarity with Wasim:
Dear Bollywood, you were simmering to show courage. A good opportunity for @aamir, @anuragkashyap72, @karanjohar and others to show that. https://t.co/aJAWE07Xqs
— Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) January 16, 2017
But instead of attacking the Jihadi radical Islamists, Anurag Kashyap attacked @bhak_sala by hilariously equating a man with a keyboard with men armed with AK 47s and bombs, and proceeded to name and condemn @bhak_sala first, and then, condemned an unknown quantity called “them”:
@bhak_sala They,who force her to apologise are same as you, Mr. Rahul Raj , I condemn you as much as I condemn them..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017
Perhaps Kashyap’s obvious reluctance to name these “them” as opposed to his openness in naming our co-founder, showed the difference between the two, and social media users drove home the point to Kashyap:
. @anuragkashyap72 Why can’t you say unequivocally that you stand with her & condemn her tormentors? @bhak_sala
— Oldtimer (@auldtimer) January 16, 2017
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. @anuragkashyap72 Why can’t you say unequivocally that you stand with her & condemn her tormentors? @bhak_sala
— Oldtimer (@auldtimer) January 16, 2017
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@anuragkashyap72 what are you condemning rahul raj for? Revealing bollywood’s dumbness
— Shobhit Todi (@shobhittodi) January 16, 2017
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@anuragkashyap72 I thought you are the only guy with a spine in Bollywood. Sadly you turned out to be a mere monley balancer. :/ @bhak_sala
— Nishant (@Nsihnat) January 16, 2017
Those who make bombs are same as those who make movies. I condemn Anurag Kashyap as much as condemn Burhan Wani. #SayNoToLogic #UdtaAnurag https://t.co/4FSNJb7NDn
— Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) January 16, 2017
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After this, perhaps having an epiphany, @bhak_sala realised that Kashyap’s next move would be to play victim:
Please don’t troll @anuragkashyap72. I don’t want his clan to declare that Kahsyap was cyber-lynched bcoz he replied to a handle like me
— Bhak Sala (@bhak_sala) January 16, 2017
And that is EXACTLY what happened. A good 12 hours after his one and only tweet condemning these unnamed people who bullied Wasim, Anurag Kashyap took out the victim card, and once again, tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as if he was personally overseeing the entire social media outrage against Kashyap:
The whole troll army is out.. @narendramodi sir.. Amazing people you follow.. Pride of the nation.. Did you conduct private classes for them
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017
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Literally today on the dining table, all the @narendramodi voters were sitting and discussing what a grave mistake they made @BhakSala
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017
Once again Kashyap was trolled by social media users for his bizarre outburst:
10 marks for bringing in Narendra Modi out of nowhere in this and 10 marks for your (failed) effort at monkey balancing! https://t.co/XigKa7Xuuv
— Rahul Sharma (@Biorahul) January 17, 2017
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Attention Seeker grow up @anuragkashyap72 https://t.co/zLShMKmDvO
— Sachin Singh (@sachinsingh1010) January 17, 2017
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Wow!
Doesn’t have the balls to attack the Islamic terrorists but will definitely attack the @PMOIndia
Very,very clear which side he is on! https://t.co/TBbLrnmrMY— Bhavna (@bhavnapb) January 17, 2017
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This is Kejriwal level of pompousness. Earth revolves around him. He is so important that PM is personally taking interest in trolling him. https://t.co/Q8Tbt3oFuJ
— Namrata (@_Namrataa) January 17, 2017
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Jehadis in j & k force a little girl to apologize, bollywood filmmaker spins it into a RW troll issue & drags PM, remarkable coordination https://t.co/RZti812ZcT
— mayurwrites (@freentglty) January 17, 2017
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It is interesting to note that the issue started because Radical Islamic Jihadis silenced a 16-year-old Kashmiri Muslim actress, and Anurag Kashyap managed to bring the entire issue at the doorstep of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also, Kashyap’s limits of bravado get revealed here: When asked pointedly by social media users to slam Radical Islamic Jihadi elements by naming them, Kashyap shies away from naming them. Suddenly the brave face of Bollywood is short of courage and cannot even type out three simple words. Further, even his condemnation of this unnamed lot is not unequivocal but he has to equate a tax paying professionally educated Indian, with terrorists, and only then can he condemn “them”.
But this same bravado mixed with a sense of idiocy returns when he has to randomly blame a social media reaction on the Prime Minister of India. The fear he felt in naming Islamic fundamentalists disappears, and he bravely tags the Prime Minister and holds him responsible for something he wouldn’t even know about. If Kashyap believes all trolls are directed by Modi, he should surely have no difficulty in believing that all Jihadi Radical Islamists are directed by Hafiz Saeed and ISI, but one could not see a single tweet from Kashyap tagging Saeed or ISI or any such organisation.
So consumed was Kashyap in his hatred for a man and his supporters, that he even wished one user would have died:
@ankit14794 @bhak_sala you should have died of shock by now..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) January 16, 2017
If the same comment was used by a “troll”, mainstream media would have been up in arms over a “threat” issued to a Bollywood star. In the end, Kashyap seems to have embarrassed himself and Bollywood once again.
