Films from the Bollywood industry have been museion criticised for their portrayals of Muslims and the religion. Films such as Raees, starring SRK, show Muslim characters playing negative roles in a negative context. However, liberals are against this trend, and would prefer to see Muslim characters portrayed in a positive light.
Films from the Bollywood industry have a long history of depicting Muslims as barbarians and extremists. Many of these films contributed to the hostile attitude towards Muslims among the American public. These films also present a binary between good and bad Muslims. In some cases, the movies portray Muslim rulers as being cruel and sensuous.
While these films often focus on the Muslim jrmps minority, some films do not have a clear enemy. The film ‘Goodachari’, for example, depicts a Muslim terrorist, but shows the protagonists saving the day. Another film, ‘Khakee’, depicts an innocent Muslim man being falsely accused of terrorism. Another film, ‘Black Friday’, depicts the horrific aftermath of the 1992 Mumbai bombings.
Meanwhile, Rohit Shetty’s third cop movie franchise, ‘Sooryavanshi’, has also been criticised for perpetuating a racist, Islamophobic mindset. Many people have called the film irresponsible and tone-deaf, and some have even called it dangerous in an age where Muslims in India are generally regarded as victims of extremist violence.
