After the Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl controversy, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has now raised objections to Anil Kapoor’s Netflix film AK vs AK in which he plays an actor wearing Air Force uniform and uses expletives and very inappropriate language talking to someone when he realizes his daughter is kidnapped.
Soon as the trailer of the film was released, the IAF raised objection to such a portrayal claiming the image of India’s defence forces and particularly IAF has suffered badly and those scenes should be removed from the film.
The trailer shows Anil Kapoor shooting for a film, wearing an Air Force officer’s uniform being told by Anurag Kashyap that he has just 10 hours to save his daughter (played by Sonam Kapoor) who has been kidnapped. Anil Kapoor then fights with Anurag Kashyap, uses super expletive swear words trying to find his daughter.
The IAF says Anil Kapoor’s character wearing the IAF uniform uses inappropriate language (which in turn shows little regard for the servicers of so many IAF heroes) and has asked for removal of those scenes from the film.
“The IAF uniform in this video is inaccurately donned & the language used is inappropriate. This does not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the Armed Forces of India. The related scenes need to be withdrawn,” they wrote on Twitter.
Profusely apologizing, Anil Kapoor took to Twitter and through a video message has endeavoured to explain away how it all came about. He said it was never his or the makers’ intention to hurt anyone’s feelings. He explains that playing a struggling actor and a father whose daughter has been kidnapped, he happens to be under pressure and thus uses the language which has been found to be objectionable.
The IAF uniform in this video is inaccurately donned & the language used is inappropriate. This does not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the Armed Forces of India. The related scenes need to be withdrawn.@NetflixIndia @anuragkashyap72#AkvsAk https://t.co/F6PoyFtbuB
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 9, 2020
Netflix also responded saying, “Hon. @IAF_MCC, our intention would never be to disrespect the Armed Forces of India in any regard. AK Vs. AK is a film in which Anil Kapoor and his co-stars are playing themselves as actors.”
Both Netflix and Anil Kapoor seem to be taking the position that Anil Kapoor is wearing the IAF uniform as ‘costume’ for the character of the actor.
Really?
How else will you portray an IAF officer in a film?
Nirmaan a Twitter user wrote:
Replying to @IAF_MCC @NetflixIndia and @anuragkashyap72
“To those defending the scene as ‘film’ only and uniform as ‘costume’ only – will you accept if Anil Kapoor wore a religious character ‘costume’ ‘playing the character’ – and uses inappropriate language?
Uniform is ‘costume’ in films” wrote a Twitter user.
The user continued:
Seems creativity has descended so low in India that the sensitivities have disappeared. These zombie creators like Anurag no longer write context details other than Gali galoch- pure gutter stuff. Well done IAF..!
It is an open secret there are millions of Twitter zombies who are paid to tweet a certain way every morning and every issue their masters want to influence on Twitter.
Not sure if these (below) users are among them.
Saniya Sayed @Ssaniya_
Replying to @IAF_MCC @NetflixIndia and @anuragkashyap72
Lol, it’s just a film. You guys need to chill.
Another user also did not see any sense in IAF objecting to the scene but criticized Narendra Modi for wearing Army uniform and tweeting Modi’s picture in uniform.
Replying to @IAF_MCC @NetflixIndia and @anuragkashyap72
Here is another actor defaming the uniform globally Kuch karo plz
Some others agreed with the IAF.
Ooooooo joydas being an actor doesn’t mean he’ll do anything with the uniform it takes a lot of hardwork to raise yourself to the standards required to wear this uniform. Uniform is pride .
be a professional actor study before you get into a role.
Divya Tripathi @DivyaTr38157963
I totally agree with air force on this… you cannot treat the uniform as a part of your fancy dress… people who wear it have “earned” it. Stop using uniform as fancy dress prop… don’t wear it if you haven’t earned it. Period
Apart from AK vs AK, the IAF had earlier locked horns with the makers of Gunjan Saxena. The film landed in trouble and the real life Gunjan Saxena and other women officers of the IAF had come out in support of the IAF which had found deliberate and manipulative distortion of facts about IAF.