After a lot of debate on the ban on Pakistani artists, a new issue has come up regarding the religion of and actor. A right-wing nationalist group asked Nawazuddin Siddiqui to cancel his performance at a Hindu festival because he belongs to the ‘Muslim Community’.
Siddiqui said performing in Ramlila was his childhood dream. The actor posted a video of his rehearsals for the stage show, but sadly, couldn’t make it to the stage at his hometown Budhana in Uttar Pradesh. He was forced to pull out of the Ramlila because of opposition from local activists, allegedly of the Shiv Sena. Mr. Siddiqui wanted to play Maarich, a demon whose wish was to die at the hands of Lord Ram.
Hundreds were left disappointed on Thursday after they were told the actor’s performance had been canceled. One of the organizers said Sena activists would not allow anyone with the name Nawazuddin to be part of the Ramlila. “There were some technical issues. I got the order that I should not do it as it was important to maintain peace in the village,” Mr. Siddiqui told a news channel before leaving for Mumbai.
“In the 50 to 60-year history of the Budhana Ramlila, no Muslim artist has set foot on the stage. We couldn’t allow that now. It’s about tradition,” Shiv Sena member Mukesh Sharma told The Times of India. The Police officials said a FIR has been filed and the necessary action would be taken.
Reacting sharply to the actor being blocked, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said: “Artistes have no religion. They have talent and that is how they play roles. We should steer clear of such people (protesters). There are people who try to take the discourse to a different direction.”
