The Bollywood film "Bawaal" has landed in hot waters, facing severe backlash from both audiences and a Jewish organization. The movie drew inspiration from the horrifying history of Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp, and this depiction has sparked outrage, according to Hindustan Times.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), a prominent human rights NGO dedicated to the memory of Nazi Holocaust victims, wrote an open letter to Prime Video, demanding the film's removal from the platform. The SWC urged Prime Video to stop monetizing "Bawaal," condemning its trivialization of the immense suffering and systematic murder during the Nazi Holocaust.
The film's portrayal of Auschwitz as a plot device set in contemporary times has raised serious concerns. The protagonists' entry into a gas chamber, dressed in striped clothing, and suffocating while drawing parallels to Hitler as a metaphor for human greed have deeply offended many.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), human rights NGO dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Nazi Holocaust, urged Prime Video to remove the film Bawaal 'due to its outlandish abuse of the Nazi Holocaust as a plot device'.
The statement said, "Directed by well-known Indian filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, the film’s storyline which is set in contemporary times, leads to scenes in which the protagonists enter a gas chamber in Auschwitz and are suffocated while wearing striped clothing. Hitler is used as a metaphor in the movie for human greed, with the main protagonist, saying to his wife, ‘We’re all a little like Hitler, aren’t we?’”
Social media erupted with reactions, with users expressing their disappointment over the film's far-fetched and insensitive comparisons. Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan's characters imagining themselves in a Nazi gas chamber, alongside the use of Hitler as a metaphor for human greed, drew widespread criticism.
One character's statement about having a "Hitler within" due to greed and the controversial line claiming "Every relationship goes through its Auschwitz" ignited further outrage.
As the controversy escalates, audiences and organizations continue to call for accountability, demanding sensitivity and respect when portraying historically significant events like the Holocaust. The fate of "Bawaal" on Prime Video remains uncertain as the public awaits the platform's response to the compelling plea for its removal.
