Director Aanand L Rai shared his views on people criticizing his film Raksha Bandhan and calling it regressive. Starring Akshay Kumar, the film tells the story of a brother and his four sisters as he promises to marry off his sisters before he can tie the knot with his childhood sweetheart. The film has been called problematic for too many words to describe the women and it equates to marrying everything in their lives. (Read also: Raksha Bandhan’s Sadia Khateeb Reacts To People Calling The Film Regressive For Calling Women ‘Double-Storied’)
While Akshay Kumar plays the role of the brother, Lala Kedarnath, Bhumi Pednekar is seen as his girlfriend. Actors Sadia Khateeb, Deepika Khanna, Smrithi Srikanth and Sahejmeen Kaur play Akshay’s four sisters in Raksha Bandhan. The film highlights the horrors of the dowry system in India.
After Sadia Khateeb supported the film, now Aanand L Rai has reacted to people calling Raksha Bandhan problematic. In an interview with News18, he said, “You cannot ignore this. I know, we have to be very progressive, we are in many ways. But there are many things that you have to pay attention to and you cannot close your eyes. Not talking about it won’t solve it. As a creator I can’t write articles, I can’t make documentaries. The only way I express myself is through movies. So if you feel there’s something regressive about it, that means there’s time to fix our society.”
“I can say we’re the best in the world, but are we? We try for the best. That thing of us (the actors and the director) coming together and telling you a story like Raksha Bandhan where you feel there is something regressive, that means our intention was just to focus there. Let’s not ignore it, let’s face it. So the next time I do a film, you won’t find this kind of regression,” added the director. The film released on Friday. Despite opening on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, it collected only ₹8.2 million It fell further around ₹6 crore on the next day, and is so far Akshay Kumar’s lowest opening film in the last ten years, according to film trade analysts.
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