Bollywood Star Wont Play Rama

[Guest guest]

A few months ago, a petition to stop the blasphemy of the Ramayana

was created. http://www.petitiononline.com/nosalman/petition.html

The petitioners were concerned that the actor, Salman Khan, was

unqualified for the role. The mainstream media has tried to portray

this as an issue of militant Hinduism. The fact is, it is Mr S Khan's

bad reputation and lifestyle that is the core issue. When a Muslim

actor played the role of Krishna in B.Chopra's Mahabharat series, it

was accepted by Hindus.

In this case, S.Khan does not fit the role and thus it is glad

tidings that he will not play the part of Lord Rama.It is to be hoped

that the Ram-Bhaktas will begin production of the Ramayana Movie ASAP.

 

 

 

Bollywood star not Hindu enough to play god

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=191052

July 18 2003 at 04:58AM

 

 

 

Bombay - Salman Khan, Bollywood's bad boy, has dropped plans to play

the role of the Hindu god Lord Rama after receiving threats allegedly

from Hindu hardliners, according to his personal friend Bunty Walia.

 

Khan, 37, who has been in the news for beating girlfriends and a

fatal hit-and-run controversy, announced earlier this year that he

was to star as Lord Rama in the big-budget Ramayana.

 

"He (Khan) as well as I have received a number of threats from

certain people, following which we have decided not to make the

movie, at least for now," said Walia.

 

The Asian Age newspaper reported that Khan, a Muslim, had received

threats from the Hindu right-wing group Bajrang Dal for taking the

role.

 

'How can people forget that my mother is a Hindu?'

"We had started pre-production work on the film, but there are some

people who think that I should not play Rama because I am a Muslim,"

the report quoted Khan as saying.

 

"How can people forget that my mother is a Hindu? And if my mother

had not been there, how would I be here today? It is frustrating and

sad, but what can I do?"

 

Walia said the project was being kept in abeyance and might be

revived later.

 

Ramayana was to be produced by Khan and Walia's production company,

GS Entertainment, with a budget of more than 1,0 billion rupees (R167-

million). - Sapa-AFP