Adoor Gopalakrishnan should go to Moon if offended by 'Jai Shri Ram’: BJP leader; director reacts

One of the signatories of the 'intolerance' letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adoor Gopalakrishnan shot back at BJP leader B Gopalakrishnan after he suggested that the veteran filmmaker goes to the Moon if he didn’t want to hear ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants. The former jokingly stated that he was always fascinated by the Moon and hoped that the politician would book a ticket for him. 

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As per reports, Adoor Gopalakrishnan welcomed the BJP leader’s suggestion that he moves to the Moon if he had a problem with 'Jai Shri Ram' chants. The filmmaker stated that he has always been enchanted by the Moon since childhood. He hoped that B Gopalakrishnan books a ticket for him and that he’d never return since it’s be a ‘great trip.’ 

B  Gopalakrishnan’s statement: 

The BJP leader in a Facebook post had written, "If you are not keen to hear it (Jai Sri Ram), please register your name at Sriharikota and you can go to the moon." 

He also stated that Adoor Gopalakrishnan cannot insult the culture of India by joining such initiatives. 

Another BJP leader, Kummanam Rajasekharan, has also reportedly slammed Adoor Gopalakrishnan, stating that condemning mob lynchings was fine, but there was no need for them to connect it to ‘Jai Shri Ram’. 

Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the most notable filmmakers of the Malayalam film industry, having won the National Award multiple awards, apart from the prestigious Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan. 

READ: Anurag Kashyap Flags Death Threat To Mumbai Police Amid Intolerance Row, Gets Prompt Response

Intolerance debate:

Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the 49 artists including Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, Konkona SenSharma, among others who have, as a collective, sent a letter to PM Modi, highlighting ‘intolerance’ under the BJP rule, apart from the incidents of mob lynchings and controversy surrounding ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants. 

This was, however, countered by a group of 62 celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Madhur Bhandarkar, Prasoon Joshi, who slammed the letter sent by the other group as ‘selective outrage and false narratives.’