The trailer of the much-anticipated film 'Brahmastra' was released on June 15 and since then, it has been in the news for several reasons, one of them being a particular scene featuring Ranbir Kapoor.
In the trailer, Ranbir's character Shiva can be seen entering what seems to be a temple with his footwear on. As soon as the trailer was released, people pointed it out and slammed the actor as well as director Ayan Mukerji, and called the whole scene disrespectful.
However, Ayan has now clarified that in the scene, Shiva is not entering a temple, but rather a Durga Puja pandal. He shared the trailer in 4K quality on Sunday for fans, and also penned a long note along with it.
"We had some people in our community, upset because of one shot in our trailer - Ranbir’s character wearing shoes as he rings a bell.
As the Creator of this film (and a devotee), I wanted to humbly address what happened here. In our movie, Ranbir is not entering a temple, but a Durga Puja Pandal," Ayan wrote.
He went on to say, "My own family has been organising a similar kind of Durga Puja Celebration for… 75 years! One, which I have been a part of since my childhood. In my experience, we only take off our shoes, right on the stage where the Goddess is, and not when you enter the Pandal."
"It is personally important for me to reach out to anyone who may have been upset with this image… because above all, Brahmāstra is created as a movie experience which pays respect to, and celebrates - Indian culture, traditions and history. That is at the heart of why I made this movie, so it is very important to me that this feeling, reaches every Indian who is watching Brahmāstra!," he concluded.
He also thanked the audience for their feedback on the film's trailer.
Meanwhile, after being in the making for five long years, 'Brahmastra' is finally set to hit the silver screens on September 9. Besides Ranbir, it also stars Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna in key roles. Shah Rukh Khan will be seen essaying a small yet pivotal role in the film.
