SUNIEL SHETTY URGES UP CM to help get rid of #BoycottBollywood

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met film personalities in Mumbai to discuss various opportunities that Hindi filmmakers can avail while shooting movies in Uttar Pradesh’s upcoming Film City. At the meeting, actor Suniel Shetty said that it is important to bring the audience back to theatres and they should start trusting that the film industry is made up of good people doing good work. He also asked help from Adityanath to get rid of the anti-Bollywood sentiment that’s been building up on social media with the hashtag #BoycottBollywood gaining momentum.

The actor also mentioned that 99 per cent of Bollywood doesn’t take drugs and rather focus on hard work to reach out to the people and thus, the trending hashtag #BoycottBollywood must be done away with to restore the image of the Bollywood industry.

The actor spoke about how audiences are not going to theatres to watch films and how they should be encouraged to go back to cinema halls. He said, “Today if we are facing a problem then it is not about cost or subsidy, but it is to do with the audience. We have to bring the audience back to theatres. It is very important.”

"This hashtag needs to be removed and there can be a rotten apple in the basket, but all of us are not like that. Our stories and our music connect to the world and hence the stigma needs to be removed. Please convey this message to PM Narendra Modi as well,” Sunil Shetty said during his interaction with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Mumbai.

The actor said, “Today if I am Suniel Shetty, it is because of UP and the fans from there. They have filled up theatres on Fridays, and that’s how we would know that film chalegi. If you take the lead, this can happen. It is of great importance that this stigma that is on us is gone. It is a very strong emotion for me. Dukh Hota hai bolne me ke humaare pe yeh stigma hai (it pains me to tell that there is this stigma on us) because 99% of us are not like that. Hum din bhar drugs nahi lete, hum galat kaam nahi karte (We don’t do drugs whole day, we don’t do wrong work).

Hum achhe kaam se jude hai (We are associated with good work). Bharat ko agar bahar ke desho se kisi ne joda hai toh woh hai humaara music (Bollywood music has connected India with the world), and our stories. So, Yogi ji if you take the lead and talk to our beloved Prime Minister about it, it will make a huge difference.”