"Some of these usual suspects of #AwardWapsiGang were instrumental in getting me out of Censor Board the moment Congress came in power. #Agenda." The actor said the filmmakers have insulted the National Awards jury and the audience, who watches their films.
"This #AwardWapsiGang has not insulted the Govt but The Jury, The Chairman of the Jury and the audience who watched their films. #Agenda," he posted.
Bhandarkar, who himself holds many National Awards for his work on films like "Chandni Bar", "Page 3" and "Traffic Signal", said the filmmakers' move is an "insult" to the people behind a film and the Indian President, who hands out the coveted trophies every year. "National award is given to an individual for the appreciation of his work, hard work and idea. The jury watches 500 films and then zeroes in on the best one.
"Returning the National Award, then, is an insult to the person who made the film, technicians who were associated in the making, actors who performed, the jury which selected and the President of India too," Bhandarkar told PTI.
The 47-year-old "Calendar Girls" helmer finds the filmmakers' decision "selective activism". "There cannot be cherry picking on any issue. This is selective target, activism. You cannot react to only those things which suit you. There was no outrage when Salman Rushdie was not allowed for the literary fest, when Taslima Nasreen was facing backlash, when Kamal Hasaan's movie ran into trouble."
The director-producer added he will not return his National Award as giving them back will be showing disrespect towards his cast and crew. "I am not going to return my National Awards. I got them because of my work and not my ideologies. If I return I will be undermining the efforts of my actors, writers, technicians. There is no question of returning."
Director Vivek Agnihotri, whose claim to fame is erotic- thriller "Hate Story", also criticised the filmmakers, saying they returned the awards only after "milking them to their advantage".
"India is the first and the only country where people don't refuse awards but return awards after milking them to their advantage. Agnihotri also made a snide remark at Patwardhan. "Just heard Anant Patwardhan has returned his award. My faith in this government has increased manifold." I will respect filmmakers who refuse to release their films, instead of 'fully milked' awards," he added.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit criticised Banerjee and veteran poet-lyricist Gulzar for selective activism. "#DibakarBanerjee should have used some other means of publicising his film rather than falling into the trap of fraud gang of #secularists," he tweeted. "I was hurt when #GulzaarSahab spoke about intolerance but remained silent for 25 yrs of my ethnic cleanising and genocide. #Selectiveoutrage," he added.
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