21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Special Ops 2 actor Vinay Pathak: I find politicising a film morbid
Actor Vinay Pathak minces no words when it comes to sharing his thoughts on political controversies that engulf films. Citing his own film Phule, which starred Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa in lead roles, Vinay criticises those who stir outrage without even watching the movie. Vinay Pathak speaks up against targeting a film by politicizing it.
'I find politicising a film morbid. If you don't like it, you don't go. (But) the majority of the people who are criticising a film haven't seen it. I can guarantee you that. It is one of the bad practices of people, ' he tells us.
Phule, a biopic on Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule, initially ran into trouble with CBFC as it reportedly had caste references. Initially set to release on April 11, the film finally hit theatres on April 25. In recent times, several other films such as Dhadhak 2 and Thug Life too have faced political heat.
Also Read| I am not very happy about my films going unnoticed: Vinay Pathak on his film Opium heading for NY Indian Film Fest
'A very small film (Phule) got blown out of proportion for no reason. But when it released, people loved it. Good content, good storytelling, and good cinema stay,' he adds.
At 56, Vinay feels he has learnt to navigate the digital controversies and online trolls. 'I think I have cracked it!' he says triumphantly, adding, ' It's not that trolls are the new monsters. There have always been people who won't like your work and they always somehow make sure that you hear about it. I just take everything with a pinch of salt. If someone says 'I didn't like your film', then rightly so. And if that somebody has a platform of internet and they say something nasty, then be it. I am told sometimes they are bots. So, I would say that rather than being emotional about it be intelligent about it.'
