New media activists re-tweeted in solidarity, “to evry m’baikar: go watch mnik in theatres, it’s a small, but important way of taking a stand (sic)”. “Cultural terrorism. Fight back”, says another.
There are no accidents. Shah Rukh Khan miffs Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena makes lemonade of his latest release (not to imply it's a lemon), the Congress swoops in to capitalise on live sentiment and the MNIK gang bags all dividends. When two opaque worlds, Bollywood and politics, collide, cynicism is anticipated.
That is the most subscribed to storyline, if the massive churn of tweets and facebook exchanges qualify as representative samples. The blogs, waiting for hindsight, perhaps, are taking apart reviews and reviewers for now.
These new media activists re-tweeted in solidarity, “to evry m’baikar: go watch mnik in theatres, it’s a small, but important way of taking a stand (sic)”. “Cultural terrorism. Fight back”, says another.
Just when Mumbai has had enough of debate-defying Uddhav and his men on evening news – the next assembly elections four years from now – with the timely release of MNIK, Mumbaikars have the chance to vote with a movie ticket. “Am clear about one… will not bow down to dictatorship & goondaism...will go watch MNIK. to heck with politics” one tweet said. “What could be torture,” another tweets, thanks to Shiv Sena is "now courage". "After all this tamasha I am so sick n tired of shivsena n just wnt to tell them 2 get a life! we r gonna watch Mnik no matter wot..*shrug*”
Despite projected losses of Rs 45 crore or more, with the whole world telling Mumbai “to go watch MNIK as a form of protest – can there be better marketing for the movie?!”
Another voice: “Let MNIK release... and we all should watch the movie… but I like the marketing trick played by shahrukh”. And this one, “2 live wid spineless Cong-NCPgov, along wid hooligans sena, mns & then being forced to support money making racket called MNIK”.
Only if one was following the Khan on Twitter, then in Berlin for the movie’s premiere, they might have appreciated the continual outpouring of angst and his attempts at not being misunderstood. Here’s one, “do i say things which r wrong. my wife tells me so. do i not make myself clear. some friends feel so. am i political or politically incorrect?”
Now, if real-time is going to be the next word-of-mouth publicity as far as movie reviews go – remember Avatar? – the controversy has managed to make that aspect of MNIK secondary.
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