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Suniel Shetty has cited ‘rotten apples’ in Bollywood while appealing to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to help in changing the perception of the film industry.
While in Mumbai to promote investment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh and pitching it as the ‘most film-friendly state in India’, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath interacted with several well-known personalities from the film industry on Thursday. In the presence of actors Ravi Kishan, Jackky Bhagnani, Jackie Shroff, Rajpal Yadav, and singer Sonu Nigam among others, Suniel Shetty made a special appeal to Adityanath.
‘Some rotten apples spoiling Bollywood’s image’
Shetty, who has been a part of the glitz and glamour industry for over 3 decades now, requested the help of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in doing away with the oft-trending hashtag #BoycottBollywood.
“I want to talk about this hashtag that’s going on — ‘Boycott Bollywood’. It can stop if you say something about it. We are doing good work,” the 61-year-old actor said.
Shetty requested Adityanath to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support in clearing the stigma around Bollywood.”It pains me to see this stigma. Ninety-nine per cent of the people here are good. So, please Yogi ji, take the lead and talk to our Prime Minister about erasing this stigma,” he added. “The film industry has played a major role in connecting India with the world,” Shetty said and requested the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to use his influence in stopping the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend.
“We have to join hands and try and get rid of the ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend and make people understand that most people in the industry are good. We don’t do drugs, we don’t harm others,” Shetty said.
Opining that it’s wrong to label the industry in a poor light because of “one rotten apple”, he added “Today people think that Bollywood is not a good place. But we have made such good films here. I was a part of such a film too, ‘Border’, along with others.”
Shetty spoke warmly about the people of UP, saying, “Today, I am what I am because of the people from Uttar Pradesh. When they would fill theatres, we knew our films would run well all over. If you take the lead, a change can be brought about in what people are thinking.”
The ‘Boycott Bollywood’ Trend
A call to ‘Boycott’ Bollywood has often been raised on social media over various controversies that have cropped up in different films and surrounding the industry over the last few years. The most recent swirling row relates to upcoming film ‘Pathaan’ which has recently been asked to make at least two cuts by the censor board, CBFC, following complaints over the videos of two of its songs. Shortly before this, the films ‘Laal Singh Chadha’ and ‘Brahmastra’ were also the subject of ire on social media and even on-ground protests in the latter’s case. Allegations of ‘nepotism’ have also contributed to the trend on occasion.
