Social media backlash over the film’s title; social activist Atul Shilwant urges makers to rename it ‘The Mumbai Blood’
Mumbai, August 13: Controversies over film titles are hardly new in India. However, The Bombay Blood, an English-language film by an Indian filmmaker Gaurav Hrishikesh Thakur, has found itself at the centre of a controversy even before its scheduled release on August 20. The film’s trailer was released a few days ago, following which several viewers, particularly those who identify strongly with Marathi language and culture, objected to the use of the word ‘Bombay’ in the title. Some Marathi voices have urged, and warned, the filmmakers to change the title from The Bombay Blood to The Mumbai Blood.
Social activist Atul Shilwant has expressed his displeasure over the issue through a social media post. In his post, he said:
“I came across the poster of this English film. Seeing it made my blood boil. The name of the film is ‘The Bombay Blood’. It has been nearly 31 years since ‘Bombay’ became ‘Mumbai’. But does it still feel beneath you to use the name Mumbai? Or does the word Mumbai seem inferior because it belongs to Marathi people? Or do people deliberately choose such names to create controversy? I have seen this attitude among people in the film industry. Watch their interviews sometime—they say Bombay. I don’t know whether their tongues are incapable of saying Mumbai. The same applies to the Bombay High Court. When will the name of Bombay High Court be changed to Mumbai High Court? Those who turn Mumbai into Bombay should be taught a lesson.”
Shilwant further said:
“Would you accept it if your father’s name Rakesh were changed to Ramesh? They are unnecessarily creating problems. This is an outsider lobby trying to erase the Marathi identity of Mumbai. This is the beginning of it. I have been observing this for the past four to five years. Many outsiders, as well as some of our own Marathi people, have started referring to Mumbai as ‘Bombay’ and ‘Bambai’. Mumbai is the name of our mother, derived from Mumbadevi. If such objections are raised, people from the film industry will come up with vague explanations about why they chose this particular name.”
In his concluding remarks, Shilwant issued a warning to the filmmakers, saying:
“My request, coupled with a warning, to the team of this film is that you should change the name of your film from ‘The Bombay Blood’ to ‘The Mumbai Blood’, otherwise we Marathi people will turn into cockroaches and drive you out of business. You will realise it when you fail to get screens in multiplexes. And when the crores of rupees you have invested in the film turn into zero, don’t cry then.”
Indo-German film at the centre of the controversy
The Bombay Blood, produced by Era of Light Films, is an English-language film written and directed by Gaurav Hrishikesh Thakur. The film features several German actors, along with Marathi television and film actor Kashyap Parulekar. The movie was shot in Germany and India.
Against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the film’s title, Maharashtra Varta has attempted to contact the film’s team for its response. However, no appropriate response has been received from the filmmakers so far.
The controversy comes at a time when debates surrounding the Marathi and non-Marathi identities in Mumbai have once again gained attention. The use of ‘Bombay’ instead of ‘Mumbai’ has also triggered disagreements on several occasions in the past.
It is against this backdrop that the title of The Bombay Blood has become the latest flashpoint. The controversy has now raised questions over whether the dispute could affect the film’s journey towards its scheduled release, particularly as the project has been presented as the first Indian-German co-production of its kind.
