Bollywood film Pathaan boycott controversy   

The latest Bollywood film in the line of fire is Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Pathaan that will hit theatres on January 25, 2023. The film is one of the biggest releases in the March quarter that exhibitors are counting on for strong business at the box office.
 
The bone of contention in the Pathaan row is the film's song titled Besharam Rang(shameless colour) that released on December 12 and set off a furore over the saffron-coloured swimwear that Padukone wore.
 
Raising objections against the costumes, among many others, was Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra, who said the song reflects a dirty mindset and unless the objectionable parts were changed, the film may not be allowed to release in the state. On December 16, a complaint was filed before a court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and others for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus in the song. The same day, Vishva Hindu Parishad workers staged a protest in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal by burning posters of the song.
 
A complaint has also been filed with I&B ministry office to seek a ban on the song. The share of Hindi (Bollywood) language films to overall India box office business currently stands at 35 percent, lower than 44 percent in 2019. The average gross collection of the top five Bollywood movies, including Brahmastra and Laal Singh Chaddha for PVR dropped by 37 percent in the September quarter in FY23 at Rs 256 million versus Q2 FY20, when the average collection was around Rs 410 million. With Rs 30.3 billion in Hindi box office collections so far, revenue is expected to recover to 80-85 percent of pre-Covid levels in FY23, and fully recover by FY24.