Javed Akhtar on FabIndia's 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz' controversy: It's crazy how people have problem with it
Mumbai, Oct 28: Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar on Thursday said he "fails to understand" how a section of people took offence over the name of clothing brand FabIndia's latest collection 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz' as the Urdu phrase simply meant "a celebration of tradition".
The brand was accused of "defacing" the Hindu festival of Diwali by naming its festive collection Jashn-e-Riwaaz (celebration of tradition). It eventually withdrew the promo after backlash from right-wing groups.
In a tweet, Akhtar wondered what the point of conflict was.
"I failed to understand why some people have any problem with FabIndia's Jashn-e-Riwaj. Which in English means nothing but 'a celebration of tradition.' How and why anybody can have problem with that. It is crazy (sic)" the 76-year-old writer wrote.
Earlier, actor Swara Bhasker had slammed the calls to boycott the brand by tweeting, "Jashn-E-Bewakoofi (celebration of stupidity)."
After the brand posted about the Jashn-e-Riwaaz collection on October 9 on Twitter, FabIndia was trolled on social media for what some said was "unnecessarily uplifting secularism and Muslim ideologies" in a Hindu festival, claiming it hurt their religious sentiments.
BJP Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya was also among those who targeted the advertisement, calling it "Abrahamisation of Hindu festivals" and tweeted that brands like FabIndia "must face economic costs for such deliberate misadventures".
The company, however, insisted that it was not its Diwali collection, which will be soon launched under 'Jhilmil si Diwali' (A sparkling Diwali) promo.
'Jashn-e-Riwaaz' is a phrase in Urdu, a language that was born in India.
The ethnic retail behemoth joins a list of brands that have recently faced the right-wing wrath.
An advertisement featuring superstar Aamir Khan for tyre maker Ceat Ltd, where he is seen advising people not to burst crackers on the streets, was objected by Karnataka BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde, who asked the company to also address the problem of blocking roads in the name of Namaz and noise emitted from mosques during Azaan.
Consumer goods giant Dabur also withdrew an advertisement for Karwa Chauth that celebrated inclusivity, equality and a progressive view of marriage featuring a lesbian couple.
Tata Group's jewellery brand Tanishq too was forced to withdraw an advertisement that showed an interfaith couple at a baby shower organised for the Hindu bride by her Muslim in-laws. The company withdrew the advertisement after trolling soon graduated to physical threats to company employees and stores.
Clothing brand Manyavar found itself at the receiving end of vitriol on social media when its advertisement featuring Bollywood star Alia Bhatt in wedding attire, appeared to question an old tradition.
I failed to understand why some people have any problem with FabIndia’s Jashn- e- Riwaj . Which in English means nothing but “ a celebration of tradition” how and why anybody can have problem with that . It is crazy .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) October 28, 2021
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
