NEW DELHI: According to Forrest Gump, life is like a box of chocolates because “you never know what you’re going to get.” Now, an Indian remake of the movie has been hit by boycott calls over years-old comments by its Muslim star Aamir Khan.
It is the latest example of how Bollywood actors, particularly minority Muslims like Khan, are feeling increased pressure under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Modi.
“Laal Singh Chaddha,” an Indian spin on the 1994 Hollywood hit with Tom Hanks, is expected to be one of India’s biggest films of 2022.
This is due in large part to its main star, 57-year-old Khan, one of the Indian industry’s most bankable actors with past blockbusters like “3 Idiots” (2009) and “Dangal” (2016).
But ahead of the August 11 release, the Internet is awash with clips from a 2015 interview when Khan expressed a growing “sense of fear” and that he and his then-wife discussed leaving India.
“She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day,” he said.
More than 200,000 tweets, many from supporters of Modi’s BJP party, have been shared since last month calling for people to spurn the movie with the hashtag #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha.
“Aamir Khan married two Hindu Women, yet named his kids Junaid, Azad & Ira. (Hindu co-star) Kareena (Kapoor) married a Muslim & promptly named her kids Taimur & Jehangir,” said one tweet, referring to the children’s typical Muslim names.
“That’s enough reasons to boycott Lal Singh Chaddha, basically a production from Bollywood’s Love Jihad club. #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha,” it added, using a derogatory term coined by Hindu nationalists who accuse Muslim men of marrying Hindu women and forcing them to convert.
Nicknamed “Mr Perfectionist,” Khan has been credited with pushing films beyond Bollywood’s traditional fare of song and dance into social and cultural issues.
He also hosted a TV chat show — “Satyamev Jayate” — that discussed touchy themes like rape, domestic violence and corruption.
The furor over his new film — which adapts Hanks’ famous line to say that “life is like a golgappa,” an Indian snack — is such that this week Khan stressed his patriotism, a key tenet of the Modi government.
“I feel sad that some of the people... believe that I am someone who doesn’t like India,” he told local media.
“That’s not the case. Please don’t boycott my film. Please watch my film.”
Films have long sparked controversy — as well as violence — in the movie-mad country of 1.4 billion people.
But the heat being felt by Khan, one of a clutch of Muslim megastars in the industry along with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, mirrors growing intolerance, marginalization and vilification of the minority, commentators say.
“There is no doubt that Aamir is being targeted by those spreading hatred toward Muslims,” one commentator, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of becoming a target himself, told AFP.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) owes its origins to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a militaristic group espousing “Hindutva,” or making India an exclusively Hindu state.
Lynchings of Muslims by Hindu mobs over so-called cow protection — a sacred animal for many Hindus — and other hate crimes have sown fear in the 200- million-strong Muslim population.
Social media is full of misinformation claiming that Muslims will soon outnumber Hindus — due to inter-religious marriages — or that the minority is a treasonous fifth column backed by Pakistan.
Critics say that the world’s most prolific film industry and its stars have been gradually changing their output to fit the government narrative since Modi came to power in 2014.
In 2019, the hagiographic “PM Narendra Modi” was too much even for the Election Commission, which delayed its release until after a vote that year.
There has been a recent string of military-themed movies that have been nationalistic, all-guns-blazing stories of heroics by soldiers and police — usually Hindus — against enemies outside and within India.
This year’s “The Kashmir Files,” about the fleeing of Hindus from Muslim-majority Kashmir in 1989-90, saw incidents of people in cinemas calling for revenge killings of Muslims.
Film critic and author Anna MM Vetticad said the methods to “subordinate India’s Muslims and Christians to the majority community... include demonizing these minorities, and constantly demanding proof of their patriotism.”
But little is expected to change.
“India’s tragedy is that a majority in Bollywood... are apathetic, opportunistic or afraid,” Vetticad told AFP.
Hindu nationalists push boycott of Bollywood ‘Forrest Gump’ remake
https://arab.news/w5k4g
Hindu nationalists push boycott of Bollywood ‘Forrest Gump’ remake
- Latest example of Bollywood actors, particularly minority Muslims, feeling increased pressure under Hindu nationalist PM Modi
- “Laal Singh Chaddha,” Indian spin on 1994 Hollywood hit with Tom Hanks, expected to be one of India’s biggest films of 2022
Eva Longoria joins In Conversation lineup at Red Sea International Film Festival
DUBAI: Hollywood actress Eva Longoria has joined the all-star lineup of speakers at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, set to run from Dec. 5-14 in Culture Square in Al-Balad.
She joins previously announced speakers Egyptian star Mona Zaki and Oscar winner Viola Davis, as well as this year’s head of the jury Spike Lee.
The raft of speakers this year also includes filmmaker Michael Mann (“Ferrari”), Egyptian writer and director Mohamed Samy (“Detention Letter”) and Turkish stars Engin Altan Düzyatan and Nurgül Yeşilçay. Also joining the lineup are Indian superstars Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
In the festival’s Souk Talents program, aimed at up-and-coming creatives, Hollywood star Andrew Garfield will deliver a talk.
The festival will feature 120 films from 81 countries at the new venue — previous editions were held at the city’s Ritz-Carlton hotel — where five purpose-built cinemas and a large auditorium will host back-to-back screenings as well as In Conversation panels with celebrities.
Aquazzura’s Edgardo Osorio talks Saudi expansion amid ‘cultural revolution’
DUBAI: Fans of Italy-based luxury shoe brand Aquazzura are in good company, with the likes of Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Beyonce and Meghan Markle showing off the label’s heels on numerous occasions. With new boutiques in Riyadh and Jeddah, creative director and founder Edgardo Osorio sat down with Arab News to discuss his decision to tap into the Saudi market.
The brand, founded in 2012, is going through a speedy expansion in the region with new boutiques opening in the Kingdom, Bahrain and Kuwait in 2024, with another UAE boutique sscheduled for 2025. This is after the brand’s first regional outlet opened in Dubai in 2018.
“It’s a very special time to be in Saudi and be a part of cultural revolution,” the Colombian designer said of his foray into Saudi Arabia at Riyadh’s Centria Mall and Jeddah’s Al-Khayyat Center — the brand’s first mono-brand concept stores in the country.
“We have a very large Saudi clientele already existing, at the shop here (in Dubai) the shop in London, and the shop in Paris, so for us it was a natural step.”
Fashion aficionados the world over will be familiar with Aquazzura’s often-copied designs, including the gem-encrusted Tequila Collection, the sparkling Gatsby Collection and the popular Twist line with its butter soft nappa leather and double padded insoles.
“The best sellers are the best sellers worldwide, but I think that Saudi women tend to dress up more,” Osorio said of Saudi footwear trends.
While a distinct focus on attention-grabbing heels is part of the Aquazzura design ethos, Osorio is keen to reiterate that the brand was born out of a desire to provide comfort.
“The reason (this) exists is because one summer I was invited to 13 weddings. I went to 12 … and I noticed women complaining about their shoes — and this was a time pre-designer sneakers, pre-there being all heel heights … Comfort was a dirty word in fashion at the time,” he said.
“And so I said … there’s an opportunity in the market to make beautiful, comfortable shoes because if you can choose, which one would you choose?”
That savvy insight proved to be the making of a designer who showed his fashion chops from a young age, interning at fashion companies in his native Colombia at the age of 14 before moving to London to study at the London College of Fashion at 16.
After dropping out to pursue a career at Italian accessories label Salvatore Ferragamo, Osorio found himself as the head of footwear at Roberto Cavalli at just 23.
His own venture began with the study of the human foot, a far cry of the glitz and glam of the red carpet where Osorio’s designs would end up.
“I worked with a technician who had been studying the human foot and making shoes for over 40 years and the way (our) shoes are constructed, the weight of your body is more evenly distributed … so our shoes are more ergonomic. The weight of your body is more evenly distributed between the front, the arch and the back.
“I also use extra-soft materials and I put in memory foam,” he said. “Almost nobody works like this. I don't know why except for me … and so obviously women feel the difference.”
Women and fashion’s leading awarding bodies, it seems, for Osorio has just been named Footwear News’s 2024 Designer of the Year — a prestigious prize in the international style industry.
Osorio was named Designer of the Year once before, in 2015, and he is part of a cohort of previous winners including Jordanian Romanian celebrity designer Amina Muaddi, London-based Charlotte Olympia Dellal and Italy’s Gianvito Rossi, among others.
“It’s obviously a huge honor to be recognised by my peers and by Footwear News … this is a very pivotal moment for the brand,” he said.
“(We are) part of a major expansion for the brand, in the major face of growth in a difficult moment, people are believing in us and people are choosing to buy and wear Aquazzura.
“When I launched Aquazurra, we were in the middle of an economic depression and everyone was telling me ‘you’re crazy to open a brand and to leave Cavalli’ … I read somewhere ‘crisis means opportunity’ … and in the moment of crisis is when you need to get crafty and creative,” he said.
Twelve years on, as his latest gilded boutique in the Middle East joins his growing list of international outlets, it seems the designer took a step in the right direction.
Red Sea International Film Festival 2024: The award contenders — part one
DUBAI: The first half of our rundown of the films in competition at this year’s RSIFF, which begins Dec. 5
‘Saify’
Director: Wael Abumansour
Starring: Osama Alqess, Aixa Kay, Baraa Alem, Nour Alkhadra
It’s no surprise that the Kingdom’s sole directorial representative in competition at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (several of the other films are Saudi-backed, however) comes from the groundbreaking Telfaz11 studio, of which Abumansour is the head. “Saify” — his second feature, following “Carnival City,” which opened the festival in 2020 — is set in the year 2000, and is a satirical take on Saudi Arabia’s conservative clerics that centers on the forty-something title character, a “washed-up confidence trickster who owes money to everyone, including his ex-wife,” who runs a small cassette shop where he sells banned hard-line religious sermons. “When Saify finds a tape containing a scandalous recording of the influential Sheikh Assad, he thinks he’s finally in the money,” the synopsis states. “Saify” seems set to continue Telfaz11’s practice of pushing cultural boundaries.
‘Superboys of Malegaon’
Director: Reema Kagti
Starring: Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora
Hindi-language comedy drama inspired by a 2008 documentary about a group of DIY filmmakers in the titular Indian city who make spoofs of Bollywood movies as a form of escapism. This film spans a couple of decades from the late Nineties, and centers on photographer and videographer Nasir Sheikh who runs a failing cinema with his brother Nihal. When Nasir starts to make Bollywood parodies tweaked to fit Malegaon’s local culture, he becomes something of a local celebrity — a situation his ego is ill-equipped to deal with. Variety said it is “a moving ode to filmmaking,” adding that “few films have been as adept at capturing why people still go to the movies.”
‘Hanami’
Director: Denise Fernandes
Starring:
Fernandes’ beautifully shot debut feature is set in her ancestral home of Cape Verde and is a coming-of-age tale spanning three periods of the life of the title character Nana. First as a toddler, after her mother Nia leaves the island in search of a better life, then in a magical-realist sequence in which Nana journeys to the foot of a volcano in the hope of curing her sickness, then with Nana as a teenager, reflecting on the community of women who have raised her and a reunion with her birth mother.
‘To a Land Unknown’
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Angeliki Papoulia, Mahmood Bakri, Mohammad Ghassan
“To a Land Unknown” might be Fleifel’s fiction debut, but its themes will be familiar to anyone who has seen his documentaries. Chatila and Reda are Palestinian refugees living in Athens, trying to save up for fake passports so they can move to Germany. But when Reda blows all their money on heroin, Chatila is drawn into a risky smuggling operation. Variety called it “a confident, angry, fully-realized drama which should see its makers afforded further opportunities to craft similarly vital work.”
‘Moon’
Director: Kurdwin Ayub
Starring: Florentina Holzinger, Celina Sarhan, Andria Tayeh, Nagham Abu Baker
The award-winning Iraqi-Austrian filmmakers third feature tells the story of Sarah, a former mixed martial artist from Austria who thinks she’s found her dream job when she is hired to train the three daughters of a wealthy Jordanian family. But despite the luxurious surroundings, Sarah is soon feeling unnerved as she quickly discovers that the sisters are under constant surveillance and have little interest in learning to box.
‘Songs of Adam’
Director: Oday Rasheed
Starring: Azzam Ahmed Ali, Abdul Jabber Hassan, Alaa Najm
The Baghdad-born Arab American director blends drama and magical realism in this tale of two brothers — Adam and Ali. When they are instructed to witness their grandfather’s corpse being washed before burial, Adam, then aged 12, announces that he has decided not to grow up. And as the years pass, he doesn’t. The villagers, including Ali, believe he has been cursed. Only his two friends Iman and Anki see Adam’s condition as an innocence-preserving gift.
‘Red Path’
Director: Lotfi Achour
Starring: Ali Hleli, Yassine Samouni, Wided Dabebi
Tunisian director Achour drew on real-life events for this disturbing drama about a harrowing attack on two young shepherds by a violent jihadist group, leaving one dead and the other — 14-year-old Achraf — to take the head of his dead cousin back home as a warning to their community. Ali Hleli has drawn plaudits for his portrayal of Achraf. His casting was reportedly the result of a year-long audition process for the three main roles. The International Cinephile Society said the film was “a strong portrait of the horrors of regional violence and how children are often the collateral damage of this vicious cycle.”
‘Snow White’
Director: Taghrid Abouelhassan
Starring: Mariam Sherif, Karim Fahmy, Mohamed Mamdouh
Iman’s search for true love is complicated by her size — she stands just 119 centimeters tall. Since an arranged marriage is off the table, Iman takes to the internet, where her outsize personality and sense of fun can shine. But offline, her condition is still a problem, even causing her sister’s marriage offer to fall through once the family meet Iman. Egyptian filmmaker Abouelhassan’s film has already picked up awards at the Cairo Film Festival.
Saudi influencer Yara Alnamlah’s brand heads to Selfridges London
- Moonglaze’s UK launch is ‘just the beginning,’ founder tells Arab News
DUBAI: Moonglaze, the beauty brand founded by Saudi influencer Yara Alnamlah, is set to make history on Dec. 4 as the first Saudi beauty label to launch at Selfridges London.
For Alnamlah, this is much more than just a business accomplishment; it’s a cultural moment, she told Arab News.
“For Moonglaze to be the first Saudi beauty brand at Selfridges is an exciting and proud moment,” she said. “This isn’t just a win for us as a brand; it’s a moment of recognition for the Saudi and Arab beauty community as a whole. It shows that we’re not only consumers of global beauty trends but also creators who bring something unique to the table.”
Alnamlah emphasized that this launch will open doors for the brand beyond the Middle East.
“London is a beauty and fashion capital,” she said. “This exposure will undoubtedly help us expand beyond the Middle East, connect with international beauty lovers, and establish Moonglaze as a brand that brings Middle Eastern beauty innovation to the global market.”
The Selfridges debut will feature Moonglaze’s new blush range, designed to suit a variety of skin tones, Alnamlah said, adding that it represents the next step in Moonglaze’s evolution, complementing the brand’s existing highlighter sticks and multi-use brushes, which have already gained a loyal following.
The creation of Moonglaze has been a deeply personal one, shaped by Alnamlah’s background as a makeup artist. “Our products are inspired by my belief in healthy, glowing skin as the foundation of any great makeup look,” she said. This belief led her to begin her brand with skincare products before expanding to blushes and highlighters.
The use of ‘moon’ in the brand name is inspired by the fact that, in Arabic (qamar), it’s used as a description “someone who is perfectly luminous, just like the full moon,” according to Alnamlah.
“The idea of using makeup to highlight natural beauty rather than mask it is something that I wanted to reflect in every Moonglaze product,” Alnamlah added. “Growing up in Saudi Arabia, I’ve always been inspired by the cultural appreciation of beauty and the importance of glowing, radiant skin.”
Reflecting on the challenges and lessons of building her brand, Alnamlah shared how staying true to her vision has been key. “I’ve learned that beauty isn’t just about the products, but about how they make people feel,” she said.
Alnamlah has made a name for herself on the fashion circuit as a blogger, beauty influencer and makeup artist over the last few years. Besides her beauty brand, the architecture student is also an entrepreneur and has a coffee store called So Matcha in Riyadh.
In 2021, she was featured in French luxury fashion label Jean Paul Gaultier’s campaign as they celebrated Saudi Arabia’s 91st National Day — its first-ever launch dedicated to a Middle Eastern country.
The Selfridges launch marks a pivotal moment for Moonglaze, but Alnamlah’s ambitions extend far beyond London.
“The Selfridges launch is just the beginning,” she said. “We are excited to expand into more countries. As we grow, we’ll continue to innovate with new product launches and collections, like our blush range.
“The ultimate goal is to create a brand that empowers people to embrace their natural beauty,” she said.
Art under the stars: Noor Riyadh returns to dazzle Kingdom’s capital
- Fleet of drones illuminates Saudi capital for Noor Riyadh
- 18 Saudi, 43 international talents present light artworks themed ‘Light Years Apart’
RIYADH: The courtyards of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center in central Riyadh came alive on Tuesday evening with the launch of the Noor Riyadh Festival, attended by creatives from around the world.
London-based artist collective United Visual Artists transformed the night sky into a living canvas with a preview of their drone show “Aether.”
Featuring 1,500 drones, the seven-minute performance explored the silent harmony of the stars and planets.
Noor Riyadh Festival, a key initiative of the Riyadh Art, is being held under the theme “Light Years Apart” and will continue until Dec. 14.
This year, the festival will feature artworks by over 60 artists across three hubs: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifa, and Jax district.
Architect Khalid Al-Hazani, director of the Riyadh Art Program, said Noor Riyadh is designed to transform the city into an open-air art exhibition.
Festival director Nouf Al-Moneef told Arab News: “What’s great about these three is the connection between art, heritage, culture, nature — and also contemporary creativity in Jax.
“The most important thing in Noor Riyadh is accessibility for people. Noor Riyadh is under the umbrella of Riyadh Art, whose mission is to transform the city into a gallery without walls. Wherever you go and whatever locations or hubs that you go to, you find these spectacular art pieces.”
The festival aims to enhance the quality of life in the Kingdom’s capital and contribute to fostering creativity and presenting art to the community, he added.
It serves as a platform for artistic and cultural exchange in line with Riyadh Art’s objective to nurture local talent and boost the cultural economy of the capital.
In addition to 18 Saudi artists, 43 international artists are representing countries including Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Turkiye, the UK, the UAE, and the US.
Speaking about the theme, Al-Moneef said that “Light Years Apart” is inspired by the connection between the Earth and the sky, praising the curatorial team who came up with the idea.
The festival invites citizens, residents, and visitors to explore the city and to celebrate the deep connection between heritage and creativity.
Mohammed Al-Bahri, an Omani journalist, said what caught his attention the most during the opening ceremony was the stunning harmony between the lights and music, which created a unique and immersive sensory experience for the viewers.
In recent years, the Kingdom has witnessed cultural and artistic development, which has contributed to enhancing its position on the global art scene, he added.
“I expect that interest in artistic creativity will continue to grow in the future, especially with the increasing government support for arts and culture, as well as the growing awareness of the importance of art in people’s lives,” Al-Bahri said.
“Art will thus become an integral part of the social fabric. Moreover, the younger generation is more open and has a deeper appreciation for the arts, signaling a bright future for artistic creativity in the Kingdom,” he said.
Munirah Abdulrazaq, a Bahraini beautician, said: “The Noor Riyadh Festival is a remarkable celebration of light and art, transforming Riyadh into a luminous canvas that bridges the gap between tradition and modernity.
“The fusion of creativity, technology, and heritage enhances the cultural landscape and positions Saudi Arabia as a burgeoning hub for contemporary and public art. By celebrating local and global artists, the festival fosters a deep appreciation for artistic expression and cultural dialogue, highlighting the Kingdom’s dedication to nurturing creativity and inspiring future generations.”
