Remove Bawaal From OTT: Varun-Janhvi’s Film Upsets Jewish Rights Group Over Nazi Holocaust Trivialization

Bawaal Controversy: Nitesh Tiwari's latest offering, Bawaal, featuring Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, has ignited controversy, as a Jewish rights organization has written an open letter to Prime Video demanding the immediate removal of the film from the platform.

After facing a massive backlash for drawing inspiration from the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz from the netizens, Bawaal's parallel narrative, intertwining a troubled marriage and the events of the Second World War, has now irked the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC). SWC is a human rights NGO that honors the memory of the Nazi Holocaust victims

While the film's cast and director, Nitesh Tiwari, have defended their intentions behind the narrative, the SWC firmly stated that Bawaal trivializes the immense suffering endured by millions of murdered Jews and countless others who fell victim to Hitler's genocidal regime.

SWC'S OPEN LETTER TO PRIME VIDEO

In the open letter addressed to Prime Video, the SWC expressed its deep concern over the film's insensitive portrayal of events from the Holocaust era, stating that it has caused distress and hurt to those who bear the painful legacy of that dark period in history.

The statement reads, "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?"

Bawaal Trivialises The Memory Of 6 Million Murdered Jews

SWC's Rabbi Abraham Cooper slammed the film and director Nitesh Tiwari, and stated, "Auschwitz is not a metaphor. It is the quintessential example of Man's capacity for Evil. By having the protagonist in this movie declare that 'Every relationship goes through their Auschwitz,' Nitesh Tiwari, trivializes and demeans the memory of 6 million murdered Jews and millions of others who suffered at the hands of Hitler's genocidal regime."

The open letter further discusses how the film trivializes the murder of millions and states, "If the filmmaker's goal was to gain PR for their movie by reportedly filming a fantasy sequence at the Nazi death camp, he has succeeded. Amazon Prime (Prime Video) should stop monetizing Bawaal by immediately removing this banal trivialization of the suffering and systematic murder of millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust."

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Bawaal also stars talented actors like Manoj Pahwa, Mukesh Tiwari, and Anjuman Saxena in pivotal roles. The film began premiering on Prime Video on June 21, 2023.