On Friday, Shashi Tharoor along with a host of other Twitterati lashed out at a meme doing the rounds on social media which appeared to star Deepika Padukone’s character from the movie Chaapaak.
The meme shows Padukone’s character with the words: “This could’ve been you but you said yes.”
Horrified, one Twitter user wrote: “This is sickening! What kind of a person would make and spread such memes?! #Chaapaak #ChaapaakMemes. @deepikapadukone”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also added his voice to the chorus of displeasure and wrote: “Disgraceful that there are people who think like this, let alone post it on social media.”
Chhapaak which released on January 10 is based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The movie showed the struggle of Malti (her name in the movie), and her ultimate victory in banning the sale of acid after being attacked by a man she refused to marry.
The film however found itself mired in controversy just days before its release. Deepika Padukone's decision to visit JNU to express solidarity with students who had been attacked, while in Delhi to promote the film, did not go down well with everyone. Many had threatened to boycott the film.
Soon after, news reports wrongly claimed that the name of Laxmi's attacker had been changed from Nadeem Khan to Rajesh for the film -- something that garnered even greater criticism.
Since its release, Chhapaak, while garnering positive reviews from critics has not had the greatest box office run.
Another film released on the same day, the Ajay Devgn starrer, "Tanhaji: The Unsung Hero", has now entered the Rs 100 crore club.
The Om Raut-directed period action drama achieved the feat in just six days after opening countrywide on January 10.
Set in the 17th century, the movie is based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. Tanhaji played an instrumental role in taking back the strategic hill fortress of Kondhana from the Mughal empire.
Produced by Ajay's ADF and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, the film also features Saif Ali Khan as Udaybhan Singh Rathore, Kajol as Savitribai Malusare and Sharad Kelkar as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
